Almost two years after NSK first introduced its long service life BNEQARTET deep groove ball bearings, the company is now adding new variants to the series with external diameters of up to 120 mm. The bearings, which are manufactured from a special steel alloy, offer twice the service life of standard bearings.




NSK’s BNEQARTET series was first developed as a robust solution for drum bearings found on front-loading washing machines, which are subject to out-of-balance loads. Here, consumer demand for bigger-drum machines was driving the need for bearings with improved load capacity and performance.

Materials specialists at NSK set about developing a special steel with improved alloy composition to effectively prevent the initiation and propagation of cracks and indentations on the raceways of the bearings.

Particular attention was also paid to rolling contact fatigue, which refers to subsurface defects in the micro-structure that can lead to surface flaking. An exceptionally pure steel alloy was identified to help eliminate this issue. As well as washing machine manufacturers, BNEQARTET deep groove rolling bearings are particularly advantageous for any industrial machine or system with bearings that are burdened with high loads and/or operate in dirty or moisture-rich environments.