To get acquainted with the company, as well as its products, is from the country of manufacture, as well as from the parent company. AB SKF is a Swedish international company operating in the field of engineering, and its products are products such as bearings, seals, lubrication systems and mechatronics for vehicles.
general information
The foundation of this company happened a long time ago. The year the company came into being is 1907. The founder of this future giant in the field of mechanical engineering was an engineer and inventor named Sven Wingquist. In just 3 years, the company has grown to a staff of 325 people, and also acquired a subsidiary in the UK. Sven himself is a Swede, and the main office of the company is located in Sweden, in Gothenburg. By 1926, another significant step was made in the life of the entire company - this was the start of the production of experimental cars. A subsidiary of SKF was also involved in this industry, and the brand of the vehicle brand was Volvo. The car was created according to the concept of top managers of the same subsidiary. It is also worth mentioning that since 1935, SKF has become completely independent of the head office in Sweden in Gothenburg.
Company owners and operations
Currently, SKF has two main executives - Leif Astling, who is the chairman of the board of directors of this company, and Alric Danielson, who is the president of the company and also the chief executive officer.
If we talk about the activities of the engineering company, the main emphasis is on the manufacture of rolling bearings, as well as on the manufacture of rotation units, seals and the search for non-standard engineering solutions in the same field. The company owns 140 industrial enterprises located in 32 different countries of the world. At present, more than 40 thousand people work under the leadership of this company. The profits of this venture are also impressive. For the period of 9 months during 2011, for example, amounted to $ 7.3 billion. Of this amount, net profit was $ 1.1 billion.
It is worth mentioning that SKF in Sweden in 2014 was caught in a cartel arrangement with several other companies, which are also manufacturers of spare parts such as ball bearings.
The company's activities in the Russian Federation and Ukraine
If we talk about the activities of this company in the Russian Federation, then there is a subsidiary, which is represented as ZAO SKF. The offices of this unit are present in cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk, Cherepovets. In addition to these offices, there is also a center for engineering solutions, which is located on the territory of the city of Moscow. And in the Tver region, starting in 2010, a plant for the production of railway axlebox bearing units has been operating. It is also important to note that a subsidiary of SKF in the Russian Federation occupies one of the leading places among companies that supply their products to the territory of this country.
In Ukraine, in turn, there is the main office of the company located in Kiev, as well as two engineering offices located in Kramatorsk and Mariupol. And in the city of Lutsk there is a bearing factory.
SKF: manufacturing country
Svenska Kullagerfabriken is an international group belonging to an industrial group that manufactures bearings and various other components for vehicles. Currently, the activities of this company are carried out in 130 different countries of the world. The company occupies one of the leading places in the production and supply of SKF bearings.
The country of origin of this product is Sweden, known around the world since 1907, in which a self-aligning double-row ball bearing was developed. For a long time, namely over 90 years, SKF has been a leader in the technology industry for the production of bearings.
History of development
The history of the company's development in the technological field was started by the founder, who invented the first double row bearing. After that, there was another latest development in the form of HUB bearing units . The next step in the technological development of the company was the CARB toroidal bearings. At the present time, Explorer roller bearing is considered a novelty from the manufacturing country SKF. The advantage of this series is that they claim to set a new bar in the field of durability and performance among these products.
At the moment, the company has under its supervision about 80 industrial capacities, as well as about 150 outlets selling goods.
Company development by years
The history of the development of this company in dry dates is approximately as follows:
- 1907 - the foundation of the company. A prerequisite for the emergence of the office was the creation of the first double-row self-aligning bearing, which was invented by Sven Wingquist. However, it is worth saying that by the end of that year the company employed 15 people, and there was no talk of profit. After drawing up the report, it became clear that the year was unprofitable, and the amount of loss was 5371 SEK. But it was important that SKF became visible and entered the component manufacturing business.
- By 1910, the office already had 325 employees, as well as one bearing factory. Only 15% of people were working outside Sweden at that time. It is this state that has become the manufacturing country of SKF.
- By 1911, the first industrial facility was opened, which was located outside of Sweden, in the city of Luton, located in the UK.
- In 1914, it was necessary to open several subsidiaries, including in the Russian Federation.
- In 1916, SKF was able to afford to purchase the Hofors Buk factory, which was suitable for the production of high-quality steel, and also acquired one of the latest bearings manufacturers - SKF Katrineholm.
Further, the development of the company was carried out by rapid steps, which led it to the position that it currently occupies.
SKF bearing classes
SKF products can be classified into the following groups:
- The first group is single row radial bearings. This class of products is favorably distinguished by the fact that they have the widest range of applications. However, their main purpose is radial reception of loads and low bearing capacity on the axle. The speed characteristics of this bearing are high, but it shows itself very poorly when the shaft is skewed.
- The second group - double row radial bearings. The basis for the creation of this product were bearings from the first group. However, the difference of this type is that the outer ring is equipped with a spherical surface, which solves the problems with the work when the shaft is skewed or bent.
SKF bearings are further subdivided into several types, however, all are united by high product quality as well as durability.
The difference between the original and the fake
Naturally, the leading sales lines are an occasion for many to fake products and sell them. However, there are several ways in which you can distinguish a fake from an original spare part. The first thing to check is the marking of the part. In addition to the fact that it must meet all the requirements that the country imposes on imported parts, the country of origin should be indicated there. Such marking is often absent from fakes.