SKF, a company established in 1907 in Gothenburg, Sweden, stands for the initials of the three Swedish words "Svenska Kullagerfabriken," which translates to "Swedish Ball Bearing Factory" in English.
The founder of SKF, Sven Gustaf Wingquist (December 10, 1876 - April 17, 1953), was employed as an engineer at a textile company in Gothenburg after completing his technical education. At the time, the factory was built on clay, causing the bearing supports to move by a fraction of a millimeter. As rigid bearings were used back then, this movement resulted in additional forces and frequent bearing failures. In 1902, Wingquist carefully studied the ongoing advancements and new ideas in ball bearing technology across Europe, systematically comparing ball bearings to sliding bearings.
In 1906, Wingquist obtained a patent for a single-row self-aligning ball bearing, partially addressing the issue of bearing support movement. He continued his research, aiming to develop self-aligning ball bearings capable of withstanding axial loads. SKF was established as a subsidiary of the textile company on February 16, 1907, with Wingquist appointed as the managing director and technical leader. On May 21 of the same year, Wingquist, as the inventor, applied for a patent for "multi-row self-aligning ball bearings," which was granted by the Swedish Patent Office just over ten days later, on June 6.
This patented invention attracted numerous investors, and Wingquist personally visited hundreds of customers, demonstrating the working principle of his self-aligning ball bearings and how they addressed technical challenges. I have found a photo from 1909 showing Wingquist testing SKF bearings on a Scania truck. Within a few months, SKF received numerous orders in Sweden. Subsequently, SKF swiftly applied for and obtained patent authorizations in ten countries, including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This patent invention marked the immediate start of SKF's global expansion.
In the second year of patent authorization, SKF established subsidiaries in Germany and France. They also granted distributorship rights to conduct business in Finland, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, and Australia. In the third year of patent authorization, which was 1909, SKF established a subsidiary in New York and a small factory in Paris. They also developed authorized distributors in Italy, Argentina, and Japan. In 1926, SKF's subsidiary, Volvo, manufactured 10 cars, which laid the foundation for the present-day Volvo company. In 1929, SKF acquired seven bearing companies in Schweinfurt, Germany, and merged them to form SKF Germany. In 1932, SKF established a subsidiary in Japan, which was around the same time that the three Japanese bearing multinational companies, NSK, NTN, and KOYO, were also experiencing rapid growth.
In 1938, Sven Gustaf Wingquist became the CEO of SKF until his death in 1953. Under Wingquist's leadership, SKF achieved unprecedented commercial success in the bearing industry at that time. Despite this, Wingquist remained modest and humble, living a simple life, leaving behind a bearing legacy that continues to benefit the world today.
Feature & Application
- SKF is the world's largest bearing manufacturer, with SKF bearings accounting for 20% of the total global production of similar products.
- SKF offers a range of products, services, and solutions to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and end-users in various industrial sectors.
- In the automotive sector, SKF provides manufacturers in the automotive, light truck, heavy truck, trailer, bus, motorcycle, and vehicle service markets with a range of products. These include wheel bearing units, tapered roller bearings, miniature deep groove ball bearings, seals, as well as mechanical and electrical products for engine, steering, and transmission system applications.
- The services provided by SKF include technical support, maintenance services, condition monitoring, and training.
- SKF has 10+ manufacturing plants in Sweden, where they produce their products. In addition to these 11 plants in Sweden, SKF also has 60+ manufacturing plants located across different countries worldwide. These plants ensure the production of bearings of the same high-quality standards as in Sweden. These plants are located in various countries such as Argentina, Austria, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
- The steel used in SKF bearings is provided by SKF's certified steel mills, ensuring the high quality of the raw materials.
- All critical components are designed and assembled by SKF to ensure that the production equipment reaches the highest level of performance.
Product Portfolio
- SKF supplies rolling bearings, seals, integrated mechatronics, services, and lubrication systems products and services worldwide.
- SKF offers a wide range of standard products, including over 20,000 different types of bearings.
- In addition to rolling bearings, the SKF Group also manufactures linear bearings, plain bearings, bearing housings, balls and roller screws, textile machinery components, retaining rings, machine tools, and various precision mechanical components.
- SKF produces a wide range of bearings, from miniature bearings weighing as little as 0.003 grams to gigantic bearings weighing up to 34 tons per unit.
- SKF also provides a range of bearing maintenance tools, lubricants, and bearing monitoring instruments, such as SKF bearing heaters, pullers, and other related equipment.
Catalog
- Bearings and units
- Mechatronics
- Lubrication&lubrication system
- Seal
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