NSK Bearings

NSK Bearings is Japan’s bearing pioneer, manufacturing vital machine components that improve the overall efficiency and reliability of operations, all while also saving energy. A staple in the industrial world, NSK bearings are used across a vast array of applications in many different industries that require quality and performance. 

In 1916, NSK became Japan’s first company to develop and manufacture bearings, and they have continued to draw on innovative, revolutionary technology to create viable industry solutions ever since. After more than 100 years in business, this brand has contributed greatly to industrial development on a global scale– now with business locations speckled across 30 countries. 

NSK Bearings is committed to strategic growth, guided by their principles of safety, compliance, and quality. The brand is also proud to have built a global presence and network that spans Japan, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. The company boasts 59 locations in Japan, and a total of 208 production sites, sales locations, offices, and technical service locations all over the world. 

Industries Served

Quality NSK bearings and other products have greatly contributed to the growth of many industries, as well as the advancement of many mechanical technologies used within them. Their extensive product line can guarantee solutions for nearly any application imaginable. Find NSK bearings used in applications in: 

• Agriculture 
• Automotive 
• Cement 
• Construction 
• Food & Beverage 
• Industrial Motors 
• Machine Tools 
• Medical 
• Mining 
• Pulp & Paper 
• Steel Industry 
• Wind Turbines 
• & more 

NSK Products

Developing effective industry solutions is what NSK bearings does. They continually develop quality products that utilize the core technologies of materials, lubrication, and analytical techniques to exceed customer expectations while responding to field requirements. Their line is extensive and comprehensive including: 

NSK Ball Bearings

• NSK Deep Groove Ball Bearings– NSK manufactures a full range of deep groove ball bearings. These bearings are the most common type and are used in a wide variety of applications. 
• NSK Angular Contact Ball Bearings– The NSK range of angular contact ball bearings has been designed to meet the increasingly demanding requirements of original equipment manufacturers. These bearings have a contact angle so that they can sustain significant axial loads in one direction together with radial loads. 
• NSK Self-Aligning Ball Bearings– This type of ball bearing is recommended when alignment of the shaft and housing is difficult and the shaft may flex. The outer ring has a spherical raceway and its center of curvature coincides with that of the bearing; therefore, the axis of the inner ring, balls and cage can deflect to some extent around the bearing center. 
• NSK Thrust Ball Bearings– Thrust ball bearings are classified into those with flat seats or aligning seats depending on the shape of the outer ring seat (housing washer). They can sustain axial loads but no radial loads. 
• NSK N Series Thin-Section Ball Bearings– Extremely thin-section ball bearings and roller bearings contributing to downsizing, weight saving, and reduction of torque loss of robots, construction equipment, and industrial machinery. 

NSK Roller Bearings

• NSK Cylindrical Roller Bearings– In bearings of this type, the cylindrical rollers are in linear contact with the raceways. They feature a high radial load capacity, and are suitable for high speeds. 
• NSK Tapered Roller Bearings– Bearings of this type make use of conical rollers guided by a back-face rib on the cone, and they are capable of taking high radial loads and axial loads in a single direction. 
• NSK Spherical Roller Bearings– This bearing type is designed for high load capacity, and some types feature pressed seal cages while others have machined brass cages. An oil groove and holes are also provided in the outer ring to supply lubricant. 
• NSK Thrust Roller Bearings– Available with either cylindrical or spherical rollers, NSK's thrust roller bearings sustain only axial loads, but they are suitable for heavy loads and have high axial rigidity. 
• NSK Needle Roller Bearings– Needle roller bearings are classified as either radial or thrust depending on the direction of the load being supported. This category also includes bearings whose rollers slightly exceed the size range of needle rollers as stipulated by ISO. 

NSK Wheel Bearings

• NSK Hub Unit Bearings with Integral Sensor Located between the Rows – With this wheel bearing you receive a compact size achieved by utilizing the space inside the bearing, improved reliability by sealing the sensor part, an integral sensor for driven wheels, and stabilized sensing under high moment load. The ABS sensor is located between the rows with a very small air gap.  
• NSK Double-Row Angular Contact Ball Bearings with Outer Mounting Flange (HUBII for Outer Ring Rotation Type) – This is an outer ring rotating hub unit bearing with outer flange for mounting the wheel.
• NSK Double-Row Angular Contact Ball Bearings with Inner and Outer Mounting Flange (HUBIII for Driven Wheels) - NSK's double-row angular contact ball bearing with integral inner and outer mounting flange makes for easier mounting because of preset preload.
• NSK Double-Row Angular Contact Ball Bearings with Inner and Outer Mounting Flange (HUBIII for Non-Driven Wheels) - This double-row angular contact ball bearing with integral inner and outer mounting flange comes with easy incorporation of the ABS sensor.

NSK Bearing Units

• NSK Plummer Blocks– Plummer block housings can be used with high-capacity spherical roller bearings or self-aligning ball bearings. The housings have a re-lubrication facility and can be used with either oil or grease lubrication. 
• NSK Ball Bearing Units– The NSK bearing unit is a combination of a radial ball bearing, a seal, and a housing of high-grade cast iron or pressed steel, which comes in various shapes. Both the outer surface of the bearing and the internal surface of the housing are spherical, which renders the unit self-aligning.

NSK Super Precision Bearings

• NSK Super Precision Angular Contact Ball Bearings– NSK precision angular contact ball bearings provide the ideal solution for applications that require a high runout accuracy of rotating machine parts, or the application of faster rotating speeds. 
• NSK Super Precision Cylindrical Roller Bearings– These bearings are specifically designed to handle large radial loads in high-speed spindle applications that also demand high runout of bearing-spindle arrangements.
• NSK Ball Screw Support Bearings– Highly precise angular contact thrust ball bearings for precision ball screws have been specifically designed for each application. The line includes a highly rigid series, as well as a high-capacity series. 
• NSK Bearings for Swiveling Spindle Heads– This series of angular contact ball bearings has been designed specifically for swiveling spindle heads used in machine tools, and is suitable for high precision processing.

Find all your NSK bearings through ProSource! If we don’t have what you need, we can source it for you.

NSK Bearings FAQs

• How do you read an NSK bearing number?
  The designation for the NSK bearing bore indicates the bearing's bore size. A two-digit number is used for bore sizes from 20mm to 480mm. This number is multiplied by five to give the bore size. For example, the code 6318 stands for a deep groove ball bearing with a bore size of 90 mm.
• Do bearings have to be lubricated? 
  Bearing lubrication is essential to the proper operation of both ball and roller bearings. Use of a proper lubricant will reduce friction between the internal sliding surfaces of the bearing components and reduce or prevent metal-to-metal contact of the rolling elements with their raceways.
• What is the best lubricant for bearings?
  Bearings in certain applications use oil, but grease is the lubricant of choice for 80 to 90% of bearing types. Grease consists of about 85% mineral or synthetic oil with thickeners accounting for the rest of the volume.
• Where are NSK bearings made?
  NSK was founded in 1916, and produced the first ball bearings made in Japan. Since then, the company has spearheaded the development of bearings in Japan, now offering a full range of bearings, selling them worldwide.
• What is the best brand of bearings?
  According to Technavio’s recent global ball bearing market report, the top five bearing vendors from 2016 to 2020 were NSK, NTN, Schaeffler, SKF, and Timken.
• Are NSK bearings any good?
  NSK is a global bearing company with more than 100 years of history offering the highest levels of safety and Japanese quality. Genuine NSK bearings are much more cost effective than fake bearings because they last much longer saving you money for repairs caused by bearing failures.
• How can you tell if NSK bearings are fake?
  Check the markings on bearings to see if they are genuine NSK bearings. An absence of markings is an obvious sign that the bearings are fake. If markings are present, but are located on different areas of the bearing than they usually are, they are likely fake.
• What types of bearings does NSK make?
  NSK manufactures a full line of bearing types including deep groove ball bearings, angular contact ball bearings, self-aligning ball bearings, thrust ball bearings, spherical roller bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, needle roller bearings, and more.
• In what applications are NSK bearings used?
  Bearings can be found in use all around us. For example, a typical car plays host to up to 150 bearings. They are used in all types of machinery such as trains, airplanes, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, air conditioners, refrigerators, computers, copiers, satellites, and more.
• What is the purpose of bearings?
  Bearings enhance the functionality of machinery while helping to save energy. Bearings generally serve their purpose silently, in tough environments, and hidden within machinery where we can't see them. That said, bearings are essential for the stable operation of machinery, and for ensuring peak performance.