Surprise out of the box: when the marking of the bearing company does not match the one indicated on the package.

In one of the previous articles, we discussed the issue of discrepancy between the country of manufacture of the bearing and the country of the brand. Today we consider a slightly different situation: when the marking of the company on the bearing does not coincide with that indicated on the box. Does this always mean fake? Is it worth believing when they say that two different brands are “the same thing”? Or, again, there are certain nuances, and everything is not so simple?

Not too often, but still it happens that, having bought a bearing, on the package of which the brand is written SNR, on the product itself you see the marking NTN. Here you can make a brief excursion into history. The Japanese company NTN (founded in the 20s of the last century) in 2007 acquires 35% of the capital of the French company SNR (founded in 1916, then under the name of SRO). The joint work of the NTN-SNR group makes its products in demand in the auto industry, aerospace and aviation industries. Group factories are located in Asia, America and Europe. Bearings produced by different factories fall on the same packaging line, which explains the possible confusion between the product and its box. However, this does not affect the quality of the bearing in any way - NTN-SNR carefully monitors the quality level of the products manufactured.

Company bearings FAG and INA can also be in each other's boxes. And again the solution lies in the history of companies. In 2002, INA (founded in 1946) acquired FAG (founded on July 29, 1905), and the joint concern became the leader among manufacturers of rolling bearings. Currently, the production of different types of products is divided between the two components of the brand: sliding and rolling bearings are produced under the INA marking, while FAG specializes in rolling bearings for automobiles and high-precision bearings for the aerospace and aviation industries.

Another story of mergers is the story of the Torrington brand, which was originally an independent American company. In 1962, it was merged with the Japanese NSK, and a new leader in the production of needle bearings appeared in the world. Tandem exists until 2003, when Torrington’s stake is bought by another US manufacturer -Timken. However, the concern soon changes its owner again - at the moment Torrington is part of the Japanese company Koyo. Since the beginning of 2013, needle bearings bearing the Koyo-Torrington label have been called simply Koyo.

A slightly different reason for differences in the marking of the bearing and its packaging may occur with the product EZO. Here the Japanese bearing can have a box with the SMB logo. The British company is not only a manufacturer of bearings, but is also the official distributor of EZO miniature bearings in Europe.

And one more example on which I would like to focus the attention of the buyer is the brand representation in various countries. The Japanese company NSK, having opened its representative office in Poland, began to manufacture products under the name PPL.

The most common confusion in brand marking occurs in a series of automotive bearings - wheel hubs, air conditioning, vyzhimnyh, bearings for steering gears and gearboxes. But not always the different names of the manufacturer on the bearing and its packaging - a sign of fake or deception. World-famous brands that have mutual confidence in the quality of their products are combined to work together and reach a wider consumer market, while maintaining the names of all the companies involved in the merger.

Remember that working with trusted firms and suppliers greatly reduces the likelihood of acquiring a fake bearing.

By purchasing bearings on the website of the company VPK Podshipnik, you can be sure of your purchase. We work only with reliable, time-tested suppliers, and we will be happy to assist you in case of questions.