NSK, Motion & Control

NSK in Europe - Facts & Figures

Our products and solutions are everywhere where something is moving – even deployed under the hardest of conditions. Our high precision roller bearings and ball bearings are spinning away in wind turbines and machine tools, our linear systems are hard at work in production lines, while our automotive products are to be found in vehicles from just about every major auto manufacturer.

Turnover: over 800 million Euros (2007/2008)
Employees: over 3,000 in Europe

Business sectors and products

Machine and plant construction

NSK rolling bearing, linear and precision technology (EIBU)
- Headquarters: Ratingen (D)

Product portfolio: high precision bearings, roller bearings, angular contact ball bearings,
self-aligning ball bearings, spherical roller bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, taper roller bearings, thrust bearings, mounted units, roll neck, needle bearings, ball screws, ball guides, roller guides, linear guides as well as mechatronic and precision products.

Automobile industry

NSK bearing units (EABU)
- EABU headquarters: Ratingen (D)

Product portfolio: wheel hubs, transmission bearings, water pump bearings, double-row bearings for aircon compressors, and much more…

NSK steering systems (ESBU)
- ESBU headquarters: Ratingen (D)

Product portfolio: manually and electrically adjustable safety steering columns with energy absorption capacity, manual and electric height and reach adjustment, electric power steering safety steering columns with energy absorption capacity, steering columns and steering racks with built-in electric power steering, steering racks with track rods, intermediate shafts, universal joints, double universal joints, damping units, and much more…

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NSK Europe Ltd. - Corporate Vision

Our Japanese roots and culture provide the basis for our striving for perfection. Bearing in mind our aim to be “No. 1 in Total Quality”, we are committed to react quickly and precisely to all demands in the Motion & Control market.

For this, we bank on our constantly developing improvement processes as well as our long history of success in the development of excellent products, improved production processes and close client service.

With this holistic approach, we achieve excellent results for our clients, shareholders and employees, establishing us as a reliable partner in the Motion & Control sector.

More than 90 Years of Technology History

NSK Ltd. was established in 1916 to take over the business of Nippon Seiko Limited Part-nership Company which had been founded in 1914. It commenced business in Osaki-machi, Ebara-gun, Tokyo (now Osaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo) as Japan’s first manufacturer of bearings. This is a brief history of NSK’s production and technology development activities over the past nine decades:

Introductory period
1916
Company is founded and ball bearing production starts.

1930s
Expansion of bearings business in Japan.

Deployment period
1940s
Expansion of demand during post-war reconstruction.

1950s
Entered ball-screw-type steering market and linear product market with balls screws and linear guides.

1960s
- Establishment of engineering research laboratory.
- Launch of needle roller bearings production as well as of automatic transmissions
- Development of first NSK axel bearings for bullet trains.
- Entered steering column market.

Growth period
1970s
- Development of NSK’s first original bearing grease (NS7).
- Entered VCR market with high accuracy bearings.
- Expansion of research on bearing life.
- Entered sealed clean bearing market.

1980s
- Entered mechatronics market.
- Establishment of heat treatment (TF) technology.
- Introduction of HUB III.
- Enters the electronic power steering (EPS) market.

1990s
- Development of high purity (EP) steel.
- Introduction of ROBUST series of ultra high speed angular contact ball bearings.
- Market introduction of half-toroidal continuously variable transmission (CVT).

2000s
- Finalisation of Fujisawa Research & Development Centre.
- Commercialisation of BSS series + introduction of HPS series of industrial machinery bearings.
- Development of world’s smallest bearing: bore diameter of 0.6 mm, outside diameter of 2mm.
- Development of cylindrical roller bearings for wind turbine gearboxes.
- Development of lightweight cold-formed hub unit bearings.
- Development of the World’s first dual pitman-arm actuators for steer-by-wire systems.
- Development of the manipulation system for fine processing.

GUIDELINES FOR THE FUTURE

The future is what one makes of it. It´s with this motto in mind that we formulate our targets and then get down to business. 2016 is a particularly important year for us: NSK will celebrate its centenary. By then, we intend to become the clear worldwide leaders in Quality. In order to achieve this target, we try to improve ourselves in all areas and invest in the future through:

1. expansion of product development capacities
2. increase in profitability in all locations
3. expansion of our international management teams

By bringing these guidelines into force, we not only strengthen the operational basis of our company, but also our ability to react quickly  and flexibly to changes in the industry. Prerequisites for this are:

Increased manufacturing quality
In our manufacturing facilities, we work closely with one another, constantly exchanging information and shared knowledge. Only this way can we recognise improvement potential and act upon it.

International Recruitment und personnel development
Excellently qualified employees are the most valuable asset a company can have. We support each and every employee in the further development of their own capabilities and, to this end, offer them a creative working environment.

Expansion of the global IT systems
We establish a global data management system that covers all operational areas: development, manufacturing, distribution and administration. This way,  we will not only improve efficiency, but also dramatically accelerate corporate decision-making processes.