Successful engineering partnerships are dependent upon many factors, not least trust, innovation, class-leading quality, technical excellence and comprehensive support. By way of example, these building blocks have provided the foundation for a strong 30-year partnership between NSK and leading machine-tool builder MCM Spa. Together, the companies have brought to market a number of innovations for the worldwide machining industry. The most recent example of successful collaboration has led MCM to adopt NSK’s NH series linear guides for use on newly developed vertical tool-change magazines and multi-pallet systems.

By replacing plain-bush bearings with NSKHPS spherical roller bearings from NSK, a steel plant has eliminated six bearing failures a year on its walking beam to deliver savings of €15,556 per annum.

The NSK plant in Munderkingen, Germany, specialises in manufacturing the company’s full range of double row ball bearings, around 30% of which carry the NWG (Neuweg) branding. Double row ball bearings find their way into all kinds of industrial applications, everything from motorcycles and vacuum pumps, through to surgical power tools and film-making equipment.

Unaware that rod mill chocks had been fitted with the incorrect spacers, maintenance technicians at the plant of a steel manufacturer were facing regular bearing failures and the need to source high-cost urgent replacements. However, the intervention of NSK – via best-practice training sessions – soon resolved the issue, delivering impressive annual savings of €46,190.

Effective 1 March 2021, Brüel & Kjær Vibro (B&K Vibro) became a company of NSK Ltd. On that day, the Darmstadt, Germany, headquarters of B&K Vibro staged an online welcome event to explain the purpose of the acquisition, especially to employees.

The new MF1000-3T deep-hole drilling machine from IMSA is taking advantage of the benefits provided by NSK’s DIN-standard ball screws for the European machine tool market. The move builds upon a long-standing partnership between IMSA and NSK that dates back many years and involves the development of numerous machine models. IMSA intends to show the new MF100-3T at the EMO Milano machine tool exhibition in October 2021.

High-precision linear guides are an important product group for NSK's Linear Motion Technology (Seiki) management unit. As a specialist in this field, the company meets the requirements of many demanding market sectors, including the machine tool industry. Many of the linear guides supplied to European customers operating in high-precision, high-quality sectors are application-specific or adaptations of standard units.

The new Tschudin Cube 350 centreless grinding machine is using NSK’s RA series of low-friction, high-rigidity roller guides, where they are helping to generate excellent levels of surface finish on machined workpieces.

For bearings deployed in the agriculture sector there is no shortage of potential hazards, including moisture, soil dust, corrosive fertilisers and very high shock loads (such as those generated by stone chipping). However, the robust bearing design and highly effective sealing of NSK Agri Disc Hubs makes them a proven choice in extreme operating conditions. Manufactured in Germany, these innovative units are a popular choice for common farming implements such as short disc harrows, seed drills and flail mowers.

A collaboration between NSK and Spain-based Talleres Ganomagoga has led to a major advance in the welding of wind turbine towers. Based on the latest NSK roller guide technology, innovative linear motion solutions are allowing Talleres Ganomagoga to achieve smooth and accurate movement of its welding machines as the towers increase in length during production.