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Financial Information:
Annual Report 2005
Cultivating
New Strengths in
Needle Roller Bearings
NSK commands the
top share of Japan’s needle roller bearing market.
NSK is working to enhance its technological
capabilities and upgrade the production framework for
needle roller bearings as one of its strategic products,
in a bid to further reinforce already robust business
for automotive applications and seize global business
opportunities. |
What are
Needle Roller Bearings?
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| Lineup of Needle Roller Bearings |
Needle roller bearings refer to a class of bearings
in which the rolling elements are needle-shaped rollers that are
at least three times as long as their diameter. Needle roller
bearings make it possible to support large loads where space is
limited, and are used primarily as key components in automotive
transmissions, steering systems, engines and other vehicle applications.
Building
a More Powerful Presence in the Automotive Field
| Needle Roller Bearing
Production Sites |
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| Japan |
NSK is installing a new
factory at the Haruna Plant, a key production site for
needle roller bearings. Production lines at the Takasaki
and Haruna plants are being realigned to expand production
capacity. |
| Europe |
Production in Poland will commence in
August 2005. |
| Asia |
Production started in Changshu, China
in June 2005.
Production is already under way in South Korea and
Indonesia. |
Needle roller bearings account for around 10% of
NSK’s business in the automotive sector. NSK is proud of
the dominant position of its needle roller bearings, which have
an approximately 50% share of the domestic automotive market according
to company estimates. This figure reflects NSK’s effectiveness
in meeting the needs of Japanese transmission manufacturers. Overseas,
NSK is projecting growth in the ratio of vehicles with automatic
transmissions (ATs) in Europe, and will take incremental steps
to meet this future demand.
As the number of gears in AT units increase, this
will likely lead to a greater volume of needle roller bearings
used per unit. New demand such as needle roller bearings for engines
is also anticipated. Mindful of this trend, NSK is vying to capture
expanding global business opportunities by wielding its unique
and sophisticated technological capabilities and worldwide network
of production sites, in a drive to steadily respond to customers’
increasingly complex needs.
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