24 Small Ball Bearings Manufacturers in 2024
This section provides an overview for small ball bearings as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 24 small ball bearings manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked small ball bearings companies as of November, 2024: 1.Zhangzhou Runstar Bearings Manufacturing Co.;Ltd, 2.NBAA Bearing Co., Ltd, 3.NINGBO MOSHENG BEARING CO., LTD.
Table of Contents
What Is a Small Ball Bearing?
Small ball bearings, also known as miniature bearings, are compact bearings with an outer diameter of less than 9 mm or an outer diameter of 9 mm or more, and an inner diameter of less than 10 mm. They play a crucial role in reducing friction and maintaining the position of rotating shafts, thereby protecting the components that support rotation. Due to their critical function in many machines with rotating shafts, they are sometimes referred to as the "rice of industry".
Applications of Small Ball Bearings
Small ball bearings are utilized in a wide range of products, including home appliances, office automation equipment, and hobby equipment. The demand for these bearings is growing rapidly in all industrial fields, driven by the trend towards smaller, lighter, and thinner products. They are found in everyday items such as fishing reels, mini 4WDs, computer hard disk spindle motors, and copier paper feed rollers. Additionally, they are instrumental in downsizing medical equipment and various measuring devices, with applications extending to potential meters, gyro gimbals and rotors, polygon scanner motors, encoders, high-frequency spindles, VTR cylinders, and capstans.
Principle of Small Ball Bearings
The operational principle of miniature bearings is the same as that of standard bearings. They are typically rolling bearings, which include rolling elements like small balls or cylindrical rollers. These elements roll within the bearing, reducing friction and facilitating smooth rotation.
1. Rolling Bearings
Rolling bearings reduce friction by allowing rolling elements to move within the bearing as the shaft rotates. This action helps in supporting the shaft and minimizing friction during operation.
2. Plain Bearings
Unlike rolling bearings, plain bearings (such as bushes) do not contain rolling elements. They rely on materials and lubricants resistant to wear and seizure to support rotational movements. Plain bearings can support larger loads due to their line contact support mechanism, compared to the point contact in ball bearings.
Other Information about Small Ball Bearings
Material of Small Ball Bearings
Small bearings are typically made from heat-treated alloy steel, with high carbon chrome steel used for the inner and outer rings and the balls, and various materials like steel plates, stainless steel, or resin for the cage. Plastic bearings, which can operate without lubrication and are resistant to rust and chemical corrosion, offer an alternative, though they generally have a lower load capacity. Plastics used in these bearings include phenolic resin, PTFE (Teflon), PEEK, PPS, PCTFE (Daiflon), and PP. However, bearings with carbon have high environmental resistance but are not suitable for applications involving high impact, vibration, or insulation requirements due to their conductivity.
List of 24 Small Ball Bearings Manufacturers
*Including some distributors, etc.
Sort by Features
- Default
- Company Size: largest first
- Year Founded: oldest first
- Year Founded: earliest first
Sort by Area
- United States of America
- China
- Germany
- Japan
- Lithuania
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- United Kingdom
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New Hampshire Ball Bearings, Inc.
Miniature & Instrument Ball Bearings
Manufacturer Overview
New Hampshire Ball Bearings, Inc. is a bearing manufacturer established in Peterborough, New Hampshire in 1946. Its 70 years of expertise have set the company's products in many fields. In aerospace and defense for example, making self-Lubricating, sleeve, and hybrid tapered needle roller bearings. Regarding medical devices, it produces solutions for surgery tables, cardiovascular devices and intravenous infusion pumps, and more. And in high technology, it creates possibilities for automotive systems, semiconductor manufacturing, robotics, and so on. The firm holds multiple standards approvals, and provides engineering references, downloadable catalogues and brochures.
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AST Bearings
Miniature Bearings
Manufacturer Overview
AST Bearings LLC was founded in 1963, in New Jersey as a manufacturer of ball bearings. The company stocks an extensive inventory of miniature bearings and precision ball bearings that help in reducing rotational friction and support radial and axial loads. There are also linear, cylindrical, and spherical bearings where aligning of movements between shaft and housing is required. There are also other products such as bushings, rod ends, rollers, sub-assemblies, and much more. The applications of these items extend to aerospace, medical, robotics, food processing, green energy, and many other industries
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TIMKEN
Miniature Bearings
Manufacturer Overview
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.
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SPB USA, L.L.C.
Miniature Ball Bearings
Manufacturer Overview
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.
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MBY Bearing
Miniature Ball Bearings
Manufacturer Overview
Established in 2001, and located in Wuxi, Jiangsu, China, MBY Bearing, is a manufacturer of Roller Bearings and Ball Bearing Units that have applications in various industries. The company offers Spherical Roller Bearings, Mounted Ball Bearing Units, Deep Groove Ball Bearings, Turbocharger Ceramic Bearings, and, Agriculture Machinery Bearings. They also provide inserts, cam followers, and water pump bearings that are used in Metal processing, Construction, Textile, Paper&Pulp, and, Mining industries. Their products are also used in Industrial Fans & Blowers, Elevators & Escalators, Aggregate & Concrete, Gear Boxes& Reducers, and, Forest&Woods industries.
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NSK Ltd.
Miniature Ball Bearings
Manufacturer Overview
NSK Ltd., based in Japan, is a manufacturer of precision bearings and motion control solutions which started its journey in 1916. The company has established itself as a major supplier for multiple industries, including automotive, industrial machinery, and aerospace. Their extensive product portfolio encompasses ball bearings, roller bearings, and linear motion components. Their Motion & Control products and technologies support the motion that brings comfort and convenience in cars, planes, wind turbines, satellites, and almost anything with moving parts.
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NSK Micro Precision Co., LTD.
World's smallest class mass production deep groove ball bearings
Manufacturer Overview
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.
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MinebeaMitsumi Inc.
Bearing Types
Manufacturer Overview
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.
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JESA BEARING SOLUTIONS
Miniature Ball Bearings
Manufacturer Overview
Jesa Bearing Solutions, established in 1969, and based in Villars-sur-Glane, Switzerland, is a manufacturer of bearings and mechatronic units. The company's catalog includes products custom, miniature, overnolded, standard and ball bearings made using cutting-edge technology like Steenox technology. The products are applied in medical, hospitals, automotive manufacturing, consumer goods and building industries. Consequently, the company manufactures bearings tailored to the applications of the customer. The company also has 2 technologies to protect the bearings from corrosion namely Coating Din 50 961 and Jesatect.
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TFL BEARINGS Co., Ltd
Miniature Ball Bearings
Manufacturer Overview
Founded in 2003, and located in Shandong, China, TFL Bearings Co., Ltd is a manufacturer of ball bearings, roller bearings, bearing units, wheel bearings, and accessories. The company offers Cross Roller Bearings, Ceramic bearings, Self Aligning Ball Bearing, Miniature Ball Bearings, and Angular Contact Ball Bearing that have applications in the Railways, Mining, and, Construction industries. They also provide Needle bearings, Plastic Bearings, Slewing Bearings, Joint bearings, and, Thin section bearings that are used in the medical sector.
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igus GmbH
xiros plastic ball bearings
Manufacturer Overview
igus GmbH, established in 1964 and based in Cologne, Germany, is a manufacturer and distributor of technical products made using polymers for movement. Its products include injection molding frames, motor control systems, and plain bearings, and it has over 240,000 products in over 1,000,000 variations. It serves 188,000 companies from over 80 countries worldwide in 50 different industries, including packaging, automotive, and renewable energy. The company is ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 50001 certified, and in 2023, it recorded €1.115 billion in sales. Since 2021, the company has purchased 380 new injection-molding machines and has replaced 275 old ones.
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KITANIHONSEIKI CO.,LTD.
Small bearings
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WD Bearing Group
Miniature Deep Groove Ball Bearings
Manufacturer Overview
WD Bearing, established in 2000, is a manufacturer of bearings based in Wuxi, China. Apart from China, the company has other branches in the USA and Germany. It manufactures bearings used in gearboxes, pumps and compressors, construction and agricultural machinery. These products are made in accordance with Six Sigma principles and standard management systems, including ISO and International Automotive Task Force (IATF). In addition, the company has dealers worldwide that give local support to customers.
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CRAFT bearings JSC
SMALL AND MINIATURE BALL BEARINGS
Company Overview
Craft Bearings JSC, founded in 1992 and located in Kaunas, Lithuania, is a manufacturer and supplier of bearings. The company’s product line includes bearings, rod ends, adapter sleeves, and chains. Its products are applicable in the automotive, industrial, and agricultural industries. The company runs a quality control laboratory, conducting tests for bearing life, noise and vibration, grease leakage, and metal structure in its products with precise measuring equipment, according to ISO standards.
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Piwang Bearings Co., Ltd.
Extra Small Ball Bearings
Company Overview
Piwang Bearings Co., Ltd. established in 1989 is a manufacturer and supplier of various types of bearings in Taichung City, Taiwan. The company’s main product lines include deep-groove ball bearings, extra small ball bearings with flange, angular contact ball bearings, self-aligning ball bearings, spherical roller bearings, cylindrical ball bearings, thrust ball bearings, cam followers, rod ends, linear bushings, needle bearings, and one-way bearings. The products can be used for precise drive and general drive applications in various industries such as electronics, remote control models, micro-electrical machinery, air & electrical tools, sporting goods, and automobile.
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MIDLAND BEARINGS LTD
Miniature Bearings
Company Overview
Midland Bearings Ltd., headquartered in the West Midlands, has been a supplier and distributor of bearings since 1984. The company maintains an extensive inventory of over twenty million items, specializing primarily in Chinese, Japanese, and Western European branded products. It provides supplies to the bearing trade and original equipment manufacturers across the UK and Western Europe. Its diverse product range includes miniature bearings, spherical roller bearings, needle roller bearings, rod end bearings, and plain spherical bearings. It also holds substantial stocks of branded products from INA, RHP, and SKF.
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PROVIDIEN LLC
MINIATURE PRECISION BEARINGS
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HCH Bearing Americas
Small Ball Bearings
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NMB Technologies Corporation
miniature ball bearings
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Blässinger GmbH
Miniature Bearings
Distributor Overview
Blässinger GmbH, founded in Germany in 1930, is a supplier of rolling bearings, and linear and drive technology. The company's product portfolio includes a wide variety of rolling bearings, including ball bearings, roller bearings, and specialty bearings designed to meet diverse application requirements and encompass linear guides, ball screws, and linear actuators for precise and efficient linear motion applications. It also offers a comprehensive range of drive technology solutions, including motor and drive systems for various industries.
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SMB Bearings
Chrome Steel Miniature Bearings
Distributor Overview
SMB Bearings is a supplier of bearings based in Oxon, UK. The company's product portfolio includes miniature, thin-section, stainless steel, plastic and ceramic bearings. The bearings are used in robotics, fishing reels, instrumentation, and drones. In addition, it has a lubrication facility where it offers relubrication for bearings that have problems or require special lubricants. The company delivers its bearings using international post. For heavy parcels, it uses express courier services like FedEx, Parcel force and DPD. For local deliveries, within the UK, the company uses van and motorbike courier services.
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Small Ball Bearings Manufacturer Ranking
*Including some distributors, etc.Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhangzhou Runstar Bearings Manufacturing Co.;Ltd |
14.3%
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| 2 | NBAA Bearing Co., Ltd |
14.3%
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| 3 | NINGBO MOSHENG BEARING CO., LTD |
14.3%
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| 4 | MBY Bearing |
14.3%
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| 5 | TFL BEARINGS Co., Ltd |
14.3%
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| 6 | Piwang Bearings Co., Ltd. |
14.3%
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| 7 | NSK Micro Precision Co., LTD. |
14.3%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the small ball bearings page as of November 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
- MinebeaMitsumi Inc.: 85,954
- NSK Ltd.: 30,577
- NSK Micro Precision Co., LTD.: 1,300
Newly Established Company
- Zhangzhou Runstar Bearings Manufacturing Co.;Ltd: 2007 (17 years ago)
- NBAA Bearing Co., Ltd: 2007 (17 years ago)
- MBY Bearing: 2001 (23 years ago)
Company with a History
- NSK Ltd.: 1916 (108 years ago)
- New Hampshire Ball Bearings, Inc.: 1946 (78 years ago)
- MinebeaMitsumi Inc.: 1951 (73 years ago)
Small Ball Bearings Manufacturers in United States
*Including some distributors, etc.
Global Distribution of Small Ball Bearings Manufacturers by Country
*Including some distributors, etc.
| Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
United States of America
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4 | 23.5% |
China
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4 | 23.5% |
Japan
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3 | 17.6% |
United Kingdom
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2 | 11.8% |
Switzerland
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1 | 5.9% |
Lithuania
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1 | 5.9% |
Taiwan
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1 | 5.9% |
Germany
|
1 | 5.9% |
