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This section provides an overview for thrust ball bearings as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 24 thrust ball bearing manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked thrust ball bearing companies as of December, 2024: 1.TIMKEN, 2.Aetna Bearing Company, 3.MMB Bearings.
Table of Contents
Thrust Ball Bearings are bearings that can rotate smoothly while sustaining axial loads, which are loads in the same direction as the length of the rotating shaft.
Because they are specialized to carry axial loads, they cannot carry radial loads acting in a direction perpendicular to the axial load. Although axial load is sometimes referred to as thrust load, both terms are used with the same meaning.
Thrust Ball Bearings can support high axial loads and are used in a wide range of applications, from household machinery to industrial machinery.
In familiar applications, thrust ball bearings are used in home appliances such as refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, printers and peripheral equipment, and fishing reels.
In industrial machinery, they are often used in the main spindles of machine tools such as CNC lathes, milling machines, and machining centers.
When a CNC lathe or similar machine drills the center of a workpiece, the spindle is subjected to a high load in the thrust direction.
The impact and load from machining can affect machining accuracy, but thrust ball bearings can be assembled to minimize the axial displacement of the spindle.
Thrust Ball Bearings consist of three major parts. These are metal balls called rolling elements, a cage that prevents the rolling elements from rubbing against each other, and a raceway. The raceway is a washer-shaped part with grooves in which the rolling elements roll.
To ensure smooth rotation under high loads, the rolling elements and raceways are made of heat-treated ferrous alloy steel. Some of them use ceramic rolling elements.
They are also finished to have a smaller surface roughness. Uniformity of size between rolling elements, etc. is also very important.
Depending on the conditions of use, appropriate lubricant may be required in some cases. Lubricating oil reduces frictional resistance and also plays a role in cooling the bearing when it is used under high loads and rotating at high speeds, which generates heat.
Thrust Ball Bearings are broadly divided into two types: Single Thrust Ball Bearings and Double Thrust Ball Bearings.
This type consists of a single row of rolling elements and two raceways that sandwich the rolling elements above and below. Single Thrust Ball Bearings support loads in only one direction.
This type has two rows of rolling elements and consists of three raceways. Double-Type Thrust Ball Bearing can support loads in both directions. However, the increased thickness requires more space for assembly.
There are two types of thrust ball bearings, called "Aligning type" and "With aligning washers", for both single and double types.
Aligning Seat Type
Aligning type bearings have a spherical raceway mounting seat. By attaching it to a spherically machined mating part, the position of the raceway is automatically held at the position of the center axis of rotation. This has the effect of suppressing misalignment of the rotating orbit.
With alignment washers
Aligning washers are added to spherically machined raceways. Thrust Ball Bearing with Aligning Washers can be used without spherical machining on the mounting surface of the mating parts to which the thrust ball bearing is mounted. However, more space is required.
When installing a bearing, it is important to carefully consider how the load is applied to the shaft and how it is best supported, and then select a bearing that is suitable for the application and purpose. It is also important to ensure that the mounting surfaces of the raceway and thrust ball bearing are sufficiently rigid to support the loads to be supported, to prevent problems with the bearings.
Lubrication should also be taken into consideration when the bearing is used under high load and high RPM conditions. Lubricant not only reduces frictional resistance, but also cools the heated thrust ball bearing.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Aetna Bearing Company is a manufacturer of precision ball and roller bearings. Established in 1916, the company is based in Livonia, Michigan, USA. The company specializes in designing and producing precision ball and roller bearings such as Aetna clutch, Aetna idler, and Aetna thrust for various industries. Its product range includes cylindrical roller bearings, needle roller bearings, and thrust bearings, serving sectors such as automotive, industrial, and aerospace. Aetna Bearing offers services like bearing customization, design engineering, application engineering, manufacturing engineering, and research and development.
SPB USA, founded in Sarasota, FL, in 1969 is a manufacturer of precision miniature and medium-sized bearings in inch and metric dimensions, as well as chrome steel and stainless steel. The company's product portfolio includes Metric Series Bearings, Inch Series Bearings, Extra Thin Metric Series Bearings, Inch Series Extended Inner Ring Bearings and Thrust Series Bearings. Their products are used in food processing, robotics, x-ray machines, dental drills, and centrifuges. The company serves markets including Medical and Healthcare, Aerospace and Defense, Consumer Goods, Industrial Manufacturing and Construction and Building.
The Timken Company (Timken) was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in North Canton, Ohio. Timken designs, manufactures, and manages engineered bearings and industrial motion products worldwide. Timken operates in two segments, Mobile Industries and Process Industries. The Mobile Industries segment’s portfolio includes bearings, seals, and lubrication devices and systems. The Process Industries segment provides industrial bearings and assemblies; industrial motion components, such as gears and gearboxes; and linear motion products, couplings, seals, lubricants, chains, belts, and related products and services to OEMs and end users in various industries.
Scheerer Bearing Corporation is an American industrial bearing manufacturer founded in 1963 and headquartered in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. The company produces ball bearings, cylindrical, spherical, and tapered roller bearings, slewing ring bearings, and thrust bearings along with other industrial motion products in the forms of bearing sleeves, hubs, plain bearings, and fittings which it supplies to distributors and OEMs globally. Additionally, they offer customization and modifications, such as coatings and lubricants, and reconditioning, and repair services. The company primarily serves military, mining, metal, material handling, and energy production industries.
MMB Bearings, established in 1976 and headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, USA, is a distributor and supplier of ball and roller bearings. Its product range encompasses ball bearings, roller bearings, miniature and instrument bearings, precision bearings, and rod end bearings, serving sectors like aerospace, medical, and robotics. The company is operating under an ISO 9001:2015-certified quality management system. Its bearings are stocked in a climate-controlled warehouse to ensure adherence to inventory standards.
KML Bearing, USA is a distributor of ball bearings and related products that was established in 1980, and based in Miami, Florida, USA. The company's main activities involve supplying multiple ball bearings for industrial applications. Its product category offerings include single and double row ball bearings, cast iron and pressed steel mounted bearing units, steel-on-steel radial spherical plain bearings and agricultural bearings and disc harrow units. Some of KML’s high selling products include deep groove ball bearings, miniature bearings, and spherical roller bearings, serving industries such as automotive, robotics, and machinery.
Normelemente KG, established in 1958 and based in Markgroningen, Baden-Wuerttemberg, is a German manufacturer and supplier that specializes in standard parts and machine components. Norelem offers an extensive catalog of more than 70,000 products, catering to the needs of engineers and designers in various projects. Their product range includes clamping technology, measuring and testing components, electromechanics, systems and components for machine and plant construction, and material handling and transport solutions. These products find applications in diverse engineering fields, such as automotive, aerospace, machinery, and robotics sectors.
Rodamientos Eder S.L. is a custom manufacturer of industrial bearings and sliding systems that was established in Bergara, Spain in 1976. The company primarily produces needle, roller, thrust, linear, and semi-precision ball bearings according to customer specifications. It also offers bushings, sliding systems, rod ends, and spherical plain bearings, along with metal parts turning, assembly, and technical support services. The company chiefly serves its clients in the automotive, agricultural and construction industries, including companies such as John Deere and Leroy Merlin.
Origin Co.,Ltd. was founded in 1938 and is a manufacturer of power supplies, precision machinery parts, and synthetic resin paint based in Saitama, Japan. The company manufactures various products such as torque limiter, selectable clutch, general solvent paint, resistance welding machines, and optical bonding system. The products have been used and applied in various sectors such as mobility, medical care, housing, industrial equipment, and entertainment. The company has certified with ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 standards for the management and environment system.
NSK Micro Precision Co., LTD. was founded in 1949 and is a manufacturer of bearings, unit products, and linear motion products based in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company produces various products including high speed dental bearing, deep groove ball bearings, traction drive, support unit croxport, and fulride. The products have been used in various application such as automatic ticket gates, measuring instruments, vending machines, conveying equipments, and vacuum cleaners. The company has obtained various certifications such as ISO 9002, ISO 14001, IATF16949, and ISO45001.
NACHI-FUJIKOSHI CORP. is a Japanese manufacturer of industrial machinery and tools, such as bearings, hydraulic equipment, robots, and cutting tools. They also provide services such as machine maintenance and repair. The company's products are used in automotive, aerospace, construction, and electronics. One of NACHI-FUJIKOSHI's renowned products is their robotic arm, the "MZR series," which is designed for precision assembly and inspection tasks in industries. They received several awards for their technological advancements and contributions to the industry, including the 2021 Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers Medal for new hydraulic equipment technology and the 2020 Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun Grand Technology Award.
JTEKT was born from the merger of bearing maker Koyo Seiko and machine tool maker Toyoda Machine Works. JTEKT focuses on environmental sustainability to create automotive-specific components as well as industry-agnostic components including sensors, gears, displays, storage devices, and hydraulic units. JTEKT also creates and designs machine tools and equipment necessary for machine production. JTEKT is also developing "internet of everything" (IoE) solutions for modern industry.
MinebeaMitsumi Inc. was incorporated in 1951in Japan and manufactures and supplies machined components, and electronic devices and components globally. It operates through four segments: machined components, electronic devices and components, MITSUMI Business, and the U-Shin business segment. MinebeaMitsumi specializes in bearing products including spherical, roller, rod end, and ball bearings for aerospace. MinebeaMitsumi also produces products including precision mechanical assemblies, fasteners, other special components including clutches and brakes, motors, blowers, sensors and lighting devices. Additionally, MinebeaMitsumi offers its products for use in PCs and peripheral equipment, information and telecommunications equipment, household electrical appliances, automobiles, and aerospace.
LYC Bearing Corporation, founded in 1954 and headquartered in Luoyang, China, stands as a manufacturer of bearings with a vast product catalog comprising over 10,000 variations. The company's product lineup spans nine distinct categories, offering solutions such as ball bearings, axial ball bearings, spherical self-aligning roller bearings, cylindrical roller thrust bearings, and conical self-aligning bearings. These bearings cater to diverse sectors, including wind energy, aerospace, automotive, and mining. The company maintains certifications like ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS18001, TS16949, as well as AS9100B, and AAR M-1003.
PEER Bearing Company is a manufacturer and supplier of roller and ball bearings founded in 1941 and based in Waukegan, Illinois. The company was acquired by AB Svenska Kullagerfabriken (SKF) in 2008 but continues to operate independently within the SKF Group as one of its North American subsidiaries. The company produces various standard and specialty bearings, including deep groove and miniature ball bearings, as well as precision electric motor and tapered roller bearings. These supply clients in agriculture, automotive, industrial piping, and construction.
American Roller bearing Company is headquartered in Hickory, North Carolina and is a manufacturer of heavy duty industrial class bearings that are used in various industries in the US and around the world. The company’s capabilities include maximum manufacturing diameters of 84 inches for ball bearings, cylindrical, spherical, custom, and tapered roller bearings in both radial and thrust configurations. The company’s service capabilities include bearing modification, service engineering, employee training, bearing repair & reconditioning, and engineering design services.
ROLLAX GmbH & Co. KG, founded in 1972 and headquartered in Bad Salzuflen, Germany, is a manufacturer and supplier of automotive products. The company mainly provides custom-designed systems and system components in the area of ball bearing technology and other mechanics. Its range of bearings includes suspension strut bearings, steering bearings and a whole lineup for e-mobility and autonomous driving. It also provides motion mechanism solutions such as pins, sleeves and seat height adjusters. The company's quality management system is IATF 16949 certified for automotive standards.
THB Bearings Co.Ltd, a company established in 2009, based in Shanghai, China, is a manufacturer and supplier of various types of bearings and related products. The company provides various products such as wire wound resistors, metal glaze film resistors, oxide film resistors, water cooled resistors, and ribbon wound resistors. These products are designed to be durable, energy efficient, and engineered to save money. A specialized solutions provider of bearing technology and it is an industrial technical services company that offers customers a simple and convenient source for bearing components, technical services and solutions.
Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd. - IKO is based in Japan and was established in 1950 as a manufacturer of bearings. The company designs Linear Motion Rolling guides and Mechatronics series and they were the first to produce Needle Roller Bearings. These products have vast applications in various industries as they are used in Electronics-related Devices and Equipment like semiconductors and for precision devices that are used in laboratory measuring instruments and medical equipment. Textile, printing, construction, transportation, and robotics are also on the list of industries that benefit from IKO products.
Tameson was founded in 2013, in Eindhoven, the Netherlands as an online-based supplier and distributor of industrial products. The company offers a wide range of products, including valves, tubes and hoses, fittings, electrical accessories, and hydraulics. There are also Office supplies such as memory cards, cables, etc. along with measuring and controlling devices like thermometers, gauges, levels, and more. Industries such as Home and Garden, Food and Beverage, Automotive, HVAC, and Industrial Automation, amongst others, benefit from the products distributed by Tameson.
Intech Bearing Inc., founded in 1984 and based in Houston, Texas, is a distributor of bearings and power transmission components. Its extensive range includes ball bearings, roller bearings, spherical roller bearings, as well as miniature bearings, and angular contact bearings, which are essential components in machinery and equipment across multiple industries such as in manufacturing, and automotive. These bearings facilitate smooth rotational motion, heavy load handling, and precise alignment, for increased efficiency of industrial processes.
Ranking as of December 2024
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TIMKEN |
23.1%
|
| 2 | Aetna Bearing Company |
15.4%
|
| 3 | MMB Bearings |
15.4%
|
| 4 | SPB USA, L.L.C. |
15.4%
|
| 5 | MinebeaMitsumi Inc. |
15.4%
|
| 6 | KML Bearing, USA |
7.7%
|
| 7 | Scheerer Bearing Corporation |
7.7%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the thrust ball bearing page as of December 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
| Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
|
Japan
|
7 | 36.8% |
|
United States of America
|
6 | 31.6% |
|
Germany
|
2 | 10.5% |
|
China
|
2 | 10.5% |
|
Spain
|
1 | 5.3% |
|
Netherlands
|
1 | 5.3% |
22 products are listed.
Shinko Seiko Co., Ltd.
30+ people viewing
Last viewed: 17 hours ago
NSK's thrust ball bearings are designed to receive thrust loads during high-speed operation, and consist of a washer-like raceway with raceway groo...
TIMKEN
30+ people viewing
Last viewed: 13 minutes ago
The standard version of the TS bearing is designed to operate under heavy loads at moderate speeds and can operate at circumferential speeds up to ...
Saijo Belt Shokai Co., Ltd.
280+ people viewing
Last viewed: 33 minutes ago
We have a wide range of products such as bearings, bearing units, oil seals, and O-links that are always used as bearings in industrial and agricul...
TIMKEN
30+ people viewing
Timken's aerospace ball bearings are specifically designed to handle radial, thrust, moment, reverse thrust or combined loads. The offering include...
Nikki Co., Ltd.
190+ people viewing
Last viewed: 13 hours ago
■Providing world-class quality Founded in 1966, TPI is a Taiwanese bearing manufacturer that represents East Asia. The TPI brand is sold in 17 coun...
TIMKEN
30+ people viewing
Last viewed: 12 hours ago
Type TVL thrust ball bearings provide exceptionally low friction, cool running and quiet operation at high speeds and also are less sensitive to mi...
TOAMEC Co., Ltd.
10+ people viewing
These bearings have a contact angle of more than 30 degrees and less than 90 degrees, and mainly support axial loads. There are thrust ball bearing...
TOAMEC Co., Ltd.
30+ people viewing
These bearings have a contact angle of more than 30 degrees and less than 90 degrees, and mainly support axial loads. There are thrust ball bearing...
