SKF.

About SKF

AB SKF was founded in 1907 in Göteborg, Sweden, by Sven Wingqvist, who invented the self-aligning ball bearing. From that single invention the company has grown into the world’s largest bearing manufacturer, producing over a billion bearings a year across facilities in more than 30 countries. SKF is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange and remains one of Sweden’s largest industrial companies by revenue.

Few companies can match SKF’s depth of knowledge in bearing engineering. It maintains the most comprehensive bearing catalogue in the world, a deep application engineering knowledge base, and a broad portfolio of bearing-adjacent products that includes seals, lubrication systems, bearing housings, shaft alignment tools and condition monitoring systems. The L10 fatigue life calculation that underpins bearing life prediction across the industry was developed by SKF engineers and is used by bearing manufacturers and mechanical engineers worldwide.

In industrial maintenance, SKF bearings are often the OEM specification in European-made machinery and are replaced like-for-like as the reference standard. The SKF designation numbering system is the basis for the ISO standard adopted by all major bearing manufacturers, which means an SKF 6205-2RS sets the dimensional and performance reference for every manufacturer’s equivalent at that designation.

Products We Can Supply from SKF

Deep groove ball bearings. SKF deep groove ball bearings in the 6000, 6200, 6300 and 6400 series from 10 mm bore to 200 mm and above, in open, shielded (Z, 2Z) and sealed (RS1, 2RS1) configurations. SKF Explorer bearings are the enhanced version, with improved steel quality, tighter geometric tolerances and optimised internal geometry, making them the premium choice within the standard designation range for critical or high-speed applications.

Spherical, tapered and cylindrical roller bearings. SKF spherical roller bearings in the 22000 and 23000 series for heavy industrial machinery with misalignment; SKF tapered roller bearings in metric and inch series for vehicle wheel hubs, gearboxes and bevel gear arrangements; and SKF cylindrical roller bearings (NU, NJ, NUP series) for high radial load applications in motors, mills, compressors and gearboxes.

Angular contact and spindle bearings. SKF angular contact ball bearings in 70 and 72 series for machine tool spindles and pump applications combining radial and axial load, and SKF high-precision spindle bearings in P4 and P5 accuracy classes for CNC machining centres and grinding spindles, where dimensional accuracy feeds directly into workpiece quality.

Bearing housings, seals and lubrication. SKF SNL and SNG plummer block housings and flanged housings for shaft support in agricultural, conveyor and general industrial machinery; SKF HMSA and V-ring seals for shaft sealing alongside bearings; and SKF LGEP, LGMT and LGWA greases across the viscosity range for bearing lubrication in different temperature and load environments.

Industries

SKF bearings and products are used across virtually every industry that relies on rotating machinery, including electric motors, pumps, compressors, fans, conveyors, machine tools, wind turbines, rail rolling stock, automotive, aerospace, agriculture, mining, paper and printing, and food and beverage, along with any application where a rotating shaft needs support, guidance and load transmission.