The use of low-friction ball bearings in drive systems serves to increase energy efficiency and reduce operational noise. Bearings of this type will also reduce heat generation, which in turn helps to extend service life. Based on concepts such as optimised raceway geometry and special sealing concepts, NSK has developed several series of ball bearings that offer significantly lower friction characteristics.

In order to deliver spindle drive service life optimisation in injection moulding machines, NSK has developed several new high-load ball screws, including the latest S-HTF series. However, many well-known manufacturers of injection moulding machines also use NSK's high-load ball screw drives for the clamping and injection axes, which is where the established HTF series is proving popular.

Up against tough competition, NSK Italy has been successful in its bid to win the coveted ‘Company to Watch’ award in a ceremony held at the end of March 2017. The Company to Watch Award is organised by Cerved, a leading information provider in Italy and one of the major rating agencies in Europe, with winners judged against their financial results and business performance.

The use of NSK’s advanced Molded-Oil deep groove ball bearings in the rotary screen of a biogas plant has seen service life more than double, a fact that is helping to save €19,200 per annum. Molded-Oil bearings feature lubricant that is embedded in a polyolefin resin, thus preventing the penetration of liquid and particle contaminants to permit extended periods of maintenance-free running.

Newly-developed S-HTF series ball screws from NSK offer more than double the service life and 1.3 times greater dynamic load capacity than the company’s previous generation product. These performance attributes have been achieved thanks to the use of a new steel material for the screw shaft that delivers an optimised combination of hardness and resilience. Specially developed by NSK, the aptly-named ‘Tough Steel’ (TF) is already being used in the company’s rolling bearings with great success.

A manufacturer of sheet metal assemblies recently sought a solution to short lifespan issues with the drive and guide elements on its automated welding systems. In fact, the linear guides for a robotic welding gun on one particular production line had to be replaced every two or three months. Due to the cost of replacement parts and maintenance time, as well as equipment downtime, the company asked NSK to investigate and provide a proposal to address the problem.

NSK has been presented with the Cho Monozukuri Innovative Parts and Components Award for its NH/NS Series Linear Guides. Established by the Japanese government in 2004, this prestigious award recognises the valuable contribution that manufacturing makes to both industry and society. NSK’s NH/NS Linear Guides have double the lifespan of conventional products due to the inclusion of specially developed features such as a new ball groove. The judges said that the linear guides and the technology behind them earned the award by contributing to longer equipment lifespan and smaller system size.

NSK has developed the world’s first grease lubricant that is 100% derived from food grade ingredients. The development represents a breakthrough for any plants where machinery, production equipment or devices come into contact with foods, pharmaceuticals or cosmetics. Furthermore, the new H3G grease is ideal for any application that is suited to the lubricant’s additional strengths of water resistance and low torque.

Designed to improve the reliability of large gearboxes used in wind power generators and other industrial machines, NSK has introduced a long-life, large-size roller bearing. The principal innovation of the new bearing is a combination of special heat treatment technology and proprietary NSK material that delivers superior flaking resistance, including that of white structure flaking. The result is seven times longer service life than that provided by a standard steel (SUJ2) bearing.

Due to the tough operating conditions experienced by machinery used in agricultural applications, the prospects of attaining a long service life when using standard rolling bearings are extremely limited. Acutely aware of this fact, leading manufacturers of quality agricultural machines, such as the Kverneland Group, rely on application-specific bearings from NSK.