SLF GmbH (Spindel- und Lagerungstechnik Fraureuth GmbH) was founded in 1993 in Fraureuth, Saxony, Germany. The name SLF represents the initials of the German words for "spindle," "bearing technology," and the location. In SLF's official promotional materials, it is mentioned that the company has an 80-year bearing history. So, what is the story behind it?
In 1942, FAG established a factory in Fraureuth, manufacturing bearing retainers. This factory can be considered as the predecessor of SLF. However, in May 1945, Germany was defeated in World War II and surrendered to the Soviet Union. At that time, a significant German bearing company called Deutsche Kugellagerfabrik (DKF) was transformed into a Soviet joint-stock company and renamed Leipziger Kugellagerfabrik SAG. The DKF brand was retained. Through reorganization, the original FAG factory in Fraureuth became the manufacturer of bearing retainers for DKF. The retainer factory in Fraureuth successfully transformed into the main roller bearing manufacturer in East Germany in 1954 and exported to 17 countries by 1965.
After the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990, the factory was merged with the FAG group. However, in July 1993, due to deteriorating financial conditions, the factory in Fraureuth was closed. It was in the same year that four executives took action and established SLF GmbH (Spindel- und Lagerungstechnik Fraureuth GmbH) using the assets of the bankrupt factory. Initially, the company had only 29 employees. With its rebirth, SLF entered a phase of rapid development and became a medium-sized bearing manufacturing enterprise with a good international reputation by the early 21st century.
In 2019, the Dutch investment company Avedon Capital Partners acquired a significant portion of SLF's shares, leading to SLF's merger with the German company STI Bearings in 2020. Furthermore, SLF established subsidiaries in China and the United States to expand its regional operations.
Like many German manufacturing companies, SLF positions itself as a provider of precision and quality products. It is fortunate that the Fraureuth factory of SLF has been in continuous operation for 80 years, and the number of employees has grown from the initial 29 to nearly 400 local German employees.
Feature & Application
SLF bearings are used in various applications, including machine tool spindle, textile machinery, electric motors, pumps, gearboxes, robots, food and beverage machinery, and general machinery.
Product Portfolio
SLF's main product lines are bearings and machine tool spindles, with precision spindle bearings naturally being one of the dominant bearing product lines among them.
SLF offers thin-section bearings in three different constructions: deep groove ball bearings, angular contact bearings, and four-point contact bearings.
