SKF Bearings

SKF manufactures bearings, seals, maintenance products, power transmission products, lubrication and lubrication systems, and mechatronics products. Its bearing product line includes ball and roller bearings, track runner bearings, super precision bearings, spherical plain bearings, rod ends, bushings, bearing housings, and bearing units.

History

SKF was founded in 1907 as Aktiebolaget Svenska Kullagerfabriken. The inventor of the double-row self-aligning ball bearing, Sven Wingquist was one of the company's founders as well as the first Managing Director. Later in the year, the company's first factory was constructed in Säve Strandgata, Gothenburg. In 1908, the company opened branch offices in France and Germany as well as appointed agents in Austria, Australia, Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland, and Finland. A year later, SKF Ball Bearing Co., a subsidiary, was established in New York. The company also opened a small workshop in France as well as appointed agents in Japan, Argentina, and Italy within the same year. In 1910, SKF registered a new company in the UK: Skefko Ball Bearing Co. Ltd and started building a plant in Luton. In addition, the company appointed agents in Portugal, The Netherlands, and Norway. A year later, the Luton factory was opened. In addition, the French and German branch offices became limited companies. Agents were appointed in Spain, Poland, and Russia within the same year. In 1912, SKF built a lab in Gothenburg. The company also increased its reach into the international market by appointing agents in Romania, Mexico, China, India, South Africa, and Bulgaria. In 1913, the branch office in Denmark was formed into a company and an agent was appointed in Serbia. SKF formed subsidiaries in Holland, Russia, Norway and Belgium a year later. To manage its business in Brazil, the company also formed a company in Gothenburg named Aktiebolaget S.A. des Roulements à Billes Suédois SKF. A South African sales company was established by the British SKF company in the same year. In 1915, production of the "Volvo bearing" started and a new company was established in Hartford, US. SKF aslo built a factory in the same area. In addition, a sales company was established in Norway while a branch office was opened in Rio de Janeiro and an agent was appointed in Uruguay. In 1916, SKF acquired Hofors Bruk in Sweden, The Hess-Bright Manufacturing Co. in Philadelphia, and Grönkvists Mekaniska Verkstad in Katrineholm, Sweden. SKF also established a new company in South America to manage its sales there. This led to the opening of branch offices in Argentina and Chile. In 1917, SKF build a new ball bearing factory in Bois-Colombes, France as well as established sales companies in Uruguay and Canada, the latter one being a subsidiary of the US company. More agents are appointed, this time in Hungary and Siam. In 1918, SKF acquired the Atlas Ball Co. and opened a sales office in Peru. Subsidiaries were established in Italy and Czechoslovakia in 1919. Meanwhile, the sales and manufacturing organizations located in the US were combined and renamed SKF Industries, Inc. During the 1920s, SKF continued to expand as it formed sales companies and subsidiaries in Switzerland, Mexico, Poland, Yugoslavia, Japan, Cuba, Greece, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Egypt, Portugal, Bolivia, Venezuela, New Zealand, Turkey, and Hungary. Offices were also opened in Australia, Algeria, Vienna, British India, and Prague. In addition, the company's continuous expansion included the appointment of agents in Latvia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Guatemala, El Salvador, Estonia, Lithuania, and the Philippines. The acquisitions during this period included seven German ball bearing factories, Nordiska Kullager AB in Gothenburg, Lidköpings Mekaniska Verkstads AB, and majority shareholding in Compagnie d'Applications Mécaniques (CAM). Over the next several decades, more agents were appointed, factories opened (68 by 1970), and subsidiaries and/or sales companies formed in various locations. In terms of product innovation, SKF also had several milestones. In 1939, SKF developed and introduced a new bearing type to the market - the spherical roller thrust bearing. In 1950, the company introduced a new spherical roller bearing called the "C bearing." During the 1960s and 1970s, the company continued to expand by building factories in India and South Africa as well as acquiring companies such as the Italian rolling bearing company RIV (fully acquired in 1979) and an Australian rolling bearing company (1974). In 1984, the company made another acquisition - Fägersten & Co. of Sweden. A year later, SKF entered into a joint venture with Koyo bearing company. In 1986, MRC Bearings in the US was purchased by SKF and IBISA, a Mexican bearing company, became a wholly-owned subsidiary. Two years later, two other bearing companies were acquired: Steyr Wälzlager Ges.m.b.H and AMPEP P.L.C. In 1989, new bearing factories were opened in Bangalore, India and Guarulhos, Brazil. By 1993, the company had divested itself of some factories and subsidiaries, becoming solely focused on its core business - rolling bearings and seals. In 1995, SKF introduced the CARB toroidal roller bearing. The company also formed a joint venture company in Korea to manufacture wheel hub bearing units. Within the same year, majority of a Polish bearing company called FLT Poznan was purchased. A new plant was constructed in Aiken, USA for the production of wheel hub bearing units in 1996. A year later, SKF entered into a new joint venture with the Wafangdian Group to manufacture and sell spherical roller bearings. Within the same year, the company acquired majority shareholding in another bearing company, PT Logam Sari Bearindo in Indonesia. In Ukraine, SKF also bought majority shareholding in Lutsk Bearing Plant. In 1999, the company introduced the SKF Explorer bearings. Over the next several years, SKF entered into joint ventures with leading bearing manufacturers for the production of various types of bearings. More acquisitions of bearing companies were also made during this period such as Aerospace Bearings UK, SBB in Bulgaria, Rolling Stock Supply & Service Pty Ltd in Australia, SNFA SAS, S2M, and US-based General Bearing Corporations. Today, the SKF Group is considered the largest bearing manufacturer in the world.

Headquarters & Locations

The SKF Group is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden with an estimated 100 manufacturing locations as well as offices and technical centers in over 130 countries including Albania, China, Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Finland, Japan, France, Switzerland, Indonesia, and Taiwan.. SKF also has a growing number of SKF Solution Factory locations worldwide.

Photos Courtesy of SKF