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Profile

Overview of RKB rolling


bearings.

A passion
for bearings
for over
70 years by Laura Alberelli

F
or over seventy years, RKB
group has been manufacturing The industrial community is well aware of the critical
rolling bearings for the heavy
industry. Besides the high-tech profile role of rolling bearings as connecting elements between
of their products, the company stands
out for a flexible and efficient organ- the static and dynamic worlds. In this domain, RKB so-
ization, and for direct control on all lutions meet the strictest market specifications, with
manufacturing stages. The group has
a turnover of 20 million Euros a unique range in terms of variety and quantity, availa-
approximately for technological
bearings only and a staff of six hun- ble from stock.
dred people. Based in Balerna,
Switzerland (Ticino Canton), RKB
group has close to 90,000 square Italy, Ireland, China, Japan, The approach, based on the consistency
meter facilities in total, including Netherlands, Belgium, Vietnam and and solidity of all activities, was ana-
13,500 in the European headquarters Mexico, with a distribution network lyzed in 2004 by the Tokyo Institute
and 65,000 in three production sites covering all continents. of Technology and the Switzerland
in China, directly controlled by the Economy Business School, two of
company. Another key strength and Capital-intensive operations the most prestigious institutes in
peculiarity of RKB is large availability are carried out the technical and economic
from stock, offering one of the best in the Swiss headquarters domain. All capital-intensive activi-
product ranges in Europe in terms of By virtue of the engineering and ties (including concept, design,
variety and quantity. The warehouse, managing know-how acquired engineering, fine-tuning, R&D, lab-
with a financial value of 35 million through many years of experience oratories, quality control, guideline
Euro approximately, is managed “in the field” and a vertically inte- creation, protocols and procedures,
using a proprietary software (ASSM - grated production system, RKB sales, logistics and after-sales opera-
Active Strategic Stock Management), solutions meet the requirements of tions) were kept in the Balerna
designed to deliver competitive bene- a more and more demanding mar- headquarters, in order to guarantee
fits in terms of global time-to-market ket, where bearings must ensure consistency and reliability in the
reduction. RKB operations are not high reliability standards. RKB’s long term, as well competitive
limited to Switzerland, as they involve organization and production prices, flexibility, quality and fast

2
PubliTec
Profile
The RKB headquarters
in Balerna (Switzerland).

A CNC lathe in
action at the
RKB T3 site.

The laboratory
for R&D activities
at the European co-engineering with customers. It is
headquarters. not mere chance that the share of
custom products, built to specific
delivery. The RKB production sites, ings; segment T3, i.e. technological user requirements, exceeds 50% of
with ISO 9001:2002 and ISO bearings and optimized bearings total production.
14001:2004 certifications, are exclu- for specific applications with execu- The natural growth of RKB group,
sively dedicated to machining oper- tions up to 1,800 mm outer diame- based on an alternative business
ations, using high-tech machine ter. model that assigns about 10% of
tools, according to the instructions These products are manufactured annual turnover to R&D activities,
sent each day by the European in compliance with the latest and will lead to the consolidation of the
headquarters that also take care of strictest international standards, brand at international level and in
raw material provisioning. mainly addressed to the Iron&Steel, the different target markets. Within
power transmission, Marine&Ship- the next five years, the company has
Production can be divided yard and renewable energy indus- plans to be listed in the Swiss
into three product areas tries. Currently, the alternative Performance Index of the Zurich
The RKB product range can be energy sector is an opportunity and Stock Exchange. Opening up the
divided into three specific areas: a major challenge at the same time, stock capital to third-party and insti-
segment T1, i.e. miniature and pre- due to rigid procedures for the cer- tutional investors is a necessary step
cision bearings with small balls up tification of original equipment and to increase the efficiency and effec-
to 35 mm inner bore diameter; seg- to the demand for higher and high- tiveness of the product and service
ment T2, i.e. standard rolling bear- er performance, often managed in offer to final users. ■

T R A S M E C n . 7 M A G G I O - G I U G N O 2 0 1 0 3

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