Bearings are fundamental to industrial motion and have been from the very beginning, with early examples being found in the remains of Roman warships. These deceptively simple components have long fascinated even humanity’s greatest minds. Leonardo Da Vinci included bearings in the designs for many of his more extraordinary inventions and it was Galileo who came up with the idea of adding a cage to the inside of ball bearings to prevent the balls rubbing against each other. NSK is one of the leading manufacturers of these components and, just like Leonardo and Galileo, NSK is constantly looking for ways to improve bearing performance. Indeed, the company invests around 5% of its annual turnover into research and development to ensure it is at the cutting edge of everything from steel quality to designs which extend service life and reliability.
A Partnership Of Precision And Project Success
Japan is often synonymous with precision, and with roots in Newark, Nottinghamshire, dating back over a hundred years, NSK has the perfect recipe for excellence. We spoke to UK Aftermarket Field Sales Manager, Dennis Briggs-Price, who provided a deep level of expertise and a fascinating insight into the world of NSK bearings and how the partnership with HAYLEY DEXIS works. Dennis said of the partnership, “HAYLEY DEXIS is our largest authorised distribution partner. We’ve got a very close working relationship not only with the central teams but also with the sales engineers in the branch network. We have a very harmonised, endearing and aligned working
partnership with HAYLEY DEXIS, and I’d say that since HAYLEY DEXIS became authorised over 10 years ago, they are our largest partner with the most ongoing projects that we work alongside each other on.”
Lets Get Technical
To demonstrate how a business in industry could benefit from NSK bearings, it’s good to get technical. It all starts with steel. NSK has proprietary bearing steel, which offers high hardness and low wear. In short, there are fewer impurities, so greater performance. And the numbers are loud and clear, showing an increase of up to 80% in service life compared to standard bearing steel. NSK also performs well in bearing design, aiming to reduce friction and thereby increase energy efficiency. At HAYLEY DEXIS, we track our customers’ successes using our in-house platform, TrackUp, be they cost-savings, downtime reductions, or efficiency gains. Extending the service life of bearings makes an impact on all three categories. As a business,
we’re all about providing the cold, hard facts and figures for an industry that needs the evidence. Otherwise, why would a purchasing department choose a slightly more expensive part? We get it.
"NSK invests around 5% of its annual turnover into research and development to ensure it remains at the cutting edge of material science and bearing technologies."
Industry Challenges Need Strategic MRO Partners
At HAYLEY DEXIS, we keep a close eye on what industry leaders and engineers need as they face multiple challenges. What we’re hearing is that companies need more than a parts supplier; they need an all-round business to partner with. A strategic relationship that recognises there are big financial, supply chain, and skills shortages. It’s a team, not a transaction; there needs to be problem-solving and continued improvement to stay in business. There is also a growing need for more sustainable solutions that also prioritise the health and safety of operators, all while saving money.
That can be achieved when using bearings with:
– An extended life as they reduce replacement costs.
– Innovations in seals and bearing designs that help resist contamination and improve performance.
NSK’s innovative sealed spoke roller bearings, for instance, with detachable seals, allow for easier maintenance and improved seal designs that resist contamination, as well as high-speed, high-load precision bearings with improved fatigue life.
Mapping Processes
Even with knowledge of the amazing efficiencies new bearings offer, we know at HAYLEY DEXIS that it’s rare to make a sudden switch to a new product, even a bearing; it often starts with a machine breaking down, where the bearing is identified as the culprit. After the initial 24/7 remediation, the conversation shifts to improvement, starting with small trials of new ideas and expanding as evidence of
success accumulates. At HAYLEY DEXIS, this process can be complemented by NSK’s Asset Improvement Program (AIP), which looks at plant reliability. It involves mapping processes and making recommendations for performance improvements. Together with NSK, we can provide technical support and engineering knowledge to help customers optimise their equipment.