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This section provides an overview for bearing steel as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 14 bearing steel manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked bearing steel companies as of December, 2024: 1.Aichi Steel Corporation, 2.BC Precision, 3.JANTZ SUPPLY INC..
Table of Contents
Bearing steel is steel used for bearings.
Bearing steel is required to have "load carrying capacity," "wear resistance," "hardenability," and "corrosion resistance."
Depending on the environmental conditions in which it is used, carbon and chromium are added, and heat treatment and rolling are used to achieve high cleanliness, reduce the oxygen content in the steel, and refine non-metallic inclusions to increase the service life of bearings.
Bearings are used to support rotating parts and are mainly classified into roller bearings and ball bearings. Rollers are cylindrical and balls are spherical and roll in a cylindrical shape to support a rotating body.
The rollers and balls make linear or point contact with the weight of the rotating body, but the contact area is subject to high loads. Bearing Steel was developed to withstand high loads. The main processing methods are as follows:
The types of materials used for bearings are as follows:
1. High Carbon Chromium Bearing Steel
This material, called SUJ, is hardened not only on the surface but also internally. It is easy to temper, and its machinability is improved by spheroidizing and annealing.
SUJ2 is used for more than 90% of high-carbon chromium steels. SUJ3 is a type of SUJ2 with improved hardenability by increasing the ratio of Si and Mn and reducing the amount of Cr. It is suitable for large-sized balls, rollers, and races.
2. Hardened-Skin Alloy Steel for Bearings
By carburizing, this type of steel maintains the same hardness and wear resistance as high-carbon chromium bearings, but has an internal toughness.
3. Corrosion-Resistant Steel Bearing Steel
This type of steel has excellent corrosion and wear resistance and is used in chemical plants where materials are prone to corrosion.
4. Heat-Resistant Steel Bearing Steel
This is used in high-temperature environments with good dimensional stability.
5. Medium Carbon Steel Bearing Steel
Parts requiring high hardness are subjected to high-frequency quenching and are often used in hub unit bearings and linear motion bearings for automobiles.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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JANTZ SUPPLY INC. a manufacturer and supplier of knife making supplies and accessories is based in Davis, Oklahoma, USA and was established in 1966. The products include knife blades, kits, handle materials, steel, metals, tools. The products are sourced from world-class brands and are designed to perform under the greatest challenging industrial applications. The products are used by hobbyists, professionals, artisans, and collectors. The company offers custom packaging, online sales, and a full-color catalog.
Aichi Steel Corporation, established in Tokai, Aichi, in 1934, is a manufacturer engaged in special steels and materials for the Toyota Group. The company's product range includes Steel Bars and Rods, Structural Steel,Steel Pipes and Tubes. The company also manufactures materials other than steel, such as stainless steel, titanium and magnetic materials. In 2011 the company developed a magnet production technology using MAGFINE powder with 30% less alloy and established the Silicon Valley Office in the USA.
Fushun Special Steel Co. Ltd. is an ISO 9001-certified manufacturer of steel products and alloy materials founded in 1937 and based in Fushun, Liaoning, China. The company produces steel products for structural components, tools, and sensitive components for medical devices. It also produces nickel-based alloys for aerospace components and parts requiring resistance to extreme temperatures. The company offers manufacturing services for steel and alloy materials, including forging using hydraulic or precision machinery, melting with arc or vacuum furnaces, and heat treatment. It primarily serves clients in the aerospace, energy, and petrochemical markets.
British Steel was launched in 1967 in England, UK, and is a manufacturer of iron and steel products for special profiles, construction steel, and railway markets. The company makes products such as steel sleepers, track shoe profiles, and condumax cathode bars as well as automotive spring steel and bearing steel for the automotive and engineering industries. Some of its affiliates include Ulanhot Steel, Guangdong Jingye Steel, and Ulanhot Steel. Besides earning the BCSA membership, the company has been awarded IATF 16949, EN 1090, and ISO 14001 certificates.
Virgamet is a manufacturer of engineering materials that was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Toruńska, Koło, Poland. Its main activity is the production of steel, including carbon steel, stainless steel, and alloy steel. The company also offers a wide range of services, such as cutting, bending, and welding. Other areas of specialization include the supply of materials that require special mechanical and physical properties, resistance to difficult working conditions, abrasion, critical temperatures and a corrosive environment. Virgamet's products are used by many customers, including the automotive, construction, and machinery industries.
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.
SANYO SPECIAL STEEL Co., Ltd. was founded in 1935 and is a manufacturer and supplier of various steel products based in Himeji, Hyogo, Japan. The company produces steel based products such as rolled steel, cut rings, bimetallic steel materials, metal powders, and steel bars. The products are used and applied in various industries such as automobiles, industrial machines, plants, and manufactures. The company has obtained ISO 14001 certification for environmental management system and enacted policies to reduce CO2 emissions from the business.
Universal Stainless, is known for manufacturing steel products, both semi-finished and finished, and is headquartered in Bridgeville, PA, since 1994. The company produces a diverse range of specialty steel products, including stainless steel, tool steel, bearing steel, gear steel, and aircraft-quality low alloy steel. They offer an extensive selection of grades and product forms, such as plate and long products like specialty bars, ingots, and coil products catering to various industry requirements. The industries using these products include forgers, rollers, original equipment manufacturing companies, and other platforms like aerospace, oil & gas, power generation, and heavy equipment manufacturing.
JMS Engineering CO., LTD., established in 1975 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a supplier that specializes in stainless steels, tool steels, mold and die steels, and alloys. The company offers a range of products including steel wire and bar, austenitic stainless steel, ferritic stainless steel, martensitic stainless steel, and more. It also offers tool steel, cold steel, and hot steel. Its KPM30 is a 30 HRC-type general-purpose steel for plastic molds with total balances suitable for everything from mold manufacturing to forming. The company has achieved ISO9001:2008 certification. It serves various industries such as engineering and metal products marketing.
Otai Special Steel is a supplier of carbon, alloy, and stainless steel products, established in 1999 and headquartered in Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China. The company offers tool steel, plastic mold steel, alloy steel, and high-speed steel for the tooling steel industry from Voestalpine & Thyssenkrupp. In addition to qualifying for the ISO 9001 certification the company also performs chemical analysis, UT inspection as per SEP, hardness test, and dimension inspection before delivery of its products.
Hanshin Metallics Co. Ltd., founded in 1956 and based in Kobe-shi, Japan, is an ISO 9001-certified supplier of special steel. The company always has over 6000t in stock, mainly SCM, SUS, and SC, including a mid-size from φ105 to φ175. Its facilities are equipped with over 20 NC lathes and two machining centers, and the company can develop a pilot hole with a diameter larger than φ100. It also has an aerospace division that is JIS Q 9100-certified and stocks aircraft materials such as high alloys, aluminum, and stainless steel. The division offers cutting, heat treatment, and mechanical testing services.
Ranking as of December 2024
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aichi Steel Corporation |
21.4%
|
| 2 | BC Precision |
14.3%
|
| 3 | JANTZ SUPPLY INC. |
14.3%
|
| 4 | Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc. |
10.7%
|
| 5 | Virgamet |
7.1%
|
| 6 | Fushun Special Steel Co., Ltd. |
7.1%
|
| 7 | NSK Brasil Ltda. |
3.6%
|
| 8 | Stahlhandel Gröditz GmbH |
3.6%
|
| 9 | British Steel |
3.6%
|
| 10 | Otai Special Steel |
3.6%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the bearing steel 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
|
5 | 38.5% |
|
United States of America
|
2 | 15.4% |
|
China
|
2 | 15.4% |
|
United Kingdom
|
1 | 7.7% |
|
Poland
|
1 | 7.7% |
Brazil
|
1 | 7.7% |
Germany
|
1 | 7.7% |
