Spearheading Innovations In Engineered Bearings
Timken started manufacturing bearings in India three decades ago, and today has its state-of-the-art manufacturing plants in Jamshedpur and Bharuch to serve local bearing market needs and beyond. Employing the highly collaborative technical selling model, the India team works directly with large OEM customers and with end -users through a network of authorized distributors to make design and application recommendations to optimize performance and reliability. The Timken Technology Centre in Bangalore, one of the four such centres in the world, provides customers access to engineering expertise and the latest technological advancements. The company also offers a large suite of bearing repair and related mechanical power transmission services to its customers. “Timken has remained a leader in diversification and portfolio expansion and shall continue its journey through strategic acquisitions and expansion of its product portfolio to clearly distinguish itself as an industry leader,” states Sanjay Koul, Chairman & Managing Director, Timken India in an exclusive interview with Bearing Review. Excerpts:
Q. May we have an overview of Timken India, its standing and activities?
Timken India stands as a significant player in the Indian industrial landscape, operating as a subsidiary of The Timken Company, a globally recognized industrial engineering firm. Established in 1987 and headquartered in Bangalore, Timken India has carved a niche for itself by specializing in the manufacturing of high-quality engineered bearings and industrial motion products. The company caters to a diverse range of industries including automotive, railways, steel, cement, and mining, contributing substantially to their operational efficiency.
Timken India’s standing in the market is underscored by its commitment to continuous innovation and adherence to global standards.Our product portfolio includes various types of bearings, such as tapered roller, cylindrical roller, and spherical roller bearings, meeting the specific needs of different sectors.
Moreover, Timken actively engages in collaborative efforts with its global counterparts, leveraging shared technologies and best practices to enhance its offerings. The company also places a strong emphasis on corporate social responsibility, participating in initiatives that contribute to community development, environmental sustainability, and employee welfare.
Q. What does your portfolio look like today?
Timken engineers, manufactures, and markets a wide range of engineered bearings, industrial motion products, lubrication systems, and offers a spectrum of powertrain rebuild and repair services. Our comprehensive range of bearings include rolling bearings, including Spherical Roller Bearings, Tapered Roller Bearings, Cylindrical Roll Bearings, Ball Bearings, and Ball Housed Units. We also provide Split and Solid Housed units, catering to the diverse needs of various markets such as Metals, Power Generation, Rail, Aerospace, Mining & Mineral Processing, Automotive, Marine, and more.
The leading authority on tapered roller bearings, Timken today applies its deep knowledge of metallurgy, tribology, and mechanical power transmission across a variety of bearings and related systems to improve reliability and efficiency of machinery and equipment all around the world. Timken delivers superior product performance, maintaining consistent global quality standards. What really makes us stand apart is the fact that Timken actively supports customers by offering application know-how, assistance with design, lubrication recommendations, and maintenance strategies. We work closely with our customers to provide solutions that meet their requirements for the toughest of applications.
Q. What are the dynamics of the bearing industry, and how do you align your products and solutions to resonate with the market demands?
Timken India has a rich history of being a frontrunner in innovation and continuous improvement, enabling us to effectively respond to evolving market needs. Our focus on real-world solutions is evident in the praise we receive from visitors who often remark on our ‘Wall of Patents.’ This wall serves as a tribute to the generations of engineers who have advanced our process capabilities through patented technologies.
Notable customer-driven innovations like the Folding Bearing Sling and the Double Row Spherical Roller Thrust Bearings demonstrate Timken’s commitment to delivering innovative solutions that drive greater commercialization. Our patents hold significant importance as they grant us exclusive rights to manufacture and sell these innovations for a designated period.
Timken will continue to maintain its competitive edge by staying at the forefront of the industry and swiftly adapting to changing market dynamics. Our dedication to innovation, continuous improvement, and a customer-centric approach ensures that we remain agile in responding to market shifts.
Through our unwavering commitment to innovation and leveraging our rich expertise, Timken India is well-equipped to address market challenges and provide solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. We remain steadfast in our pursuit of staying ahead of the competition and being the fastest to adapt to changing market conditions.
Q. What are your differentiated offerings to the high-tech aerospace industry?
Timken leads in innovation for engineered bearings, focusing on the aerospace and industrial machinery sectors. We prioritize advanced materials, employing high-performance steel to enhance bearing durability and performance. Our commitment extends to custom solutions tailored for specific applications, meeting aerospace demands with high-speed and high temperature bearing designs. Advanced sealing technology protects against contaminants, extending bearing life and reducing maintenance requirements.
In the realm of research and development, Timken focuses on lubrication technology to reduce friction, enhance efficiency, and extend bearing operational life. Timken’s commitment to the aerospace sector includes innovative lightweight designs that minimize weight without compromising load-carrying capacity and performance. These offerings collectively position Timken as a reliable and forward-thinking partner in the high-tech aerospace industry.
Q. What are the customized solutions you offer to the automotive sector which is constantly innovating?
The automotive industry is going through a whirlwind of change, primarily due to shift to electrification, lightweighting and stringent emission reduction. Timken bearing technology caters to the unique requirements of emerging trends including electric vehicles, lightweighting, and miniaturization. There are a variety of configurations for electric vehicles, and each of them has unique challenges and benefits. To meet the demands of electric vehicles, Timken’s high-efficiency bearings minimize friction, contributing to improved battery range and overall vehicle efficiency. Furthermore, Timken is researching advanced materials to enhance bearing durability and performance, integrating sensors for real-time monitoring in electric vehicles, reducing noise for quieter operation, and prioritizing environmentally responsible manufacturing and materials sourcing to align with the sustainability goals of these burgeoning industries.
In the automotive sector, our specialized bearings contribute to vehicle performance and longevity in applications.Timken offers bearings designed to withstand the rigors of heavy loads, high speeds, and harsh environmental conditions in locomotives, passenger trains, and freight cars. In the mining and construction industry, our bearings endure extreme conditions, supporting equipment such as excavators and material handling systems.
Q. Wind turbines again call for challenging engineered solutions. How does this sector benefit from your basket of offerings?
Our engineered solutions for wind turbines, including specialized bearings, demonstrate our commitment to innovation and sustainability. We aim to showcase how Timken’s bearings enhance the reliability and efficiency of wind turbines, contributing to the growth of the renewable energy industry. Additionally, the company designs bearings with minimal maintenance needs, a critical feature for applications such as wind turbines in renewable energy, where maintenance accessibility can be challenging and costly. Customized bearing solutions are another key aspect, as Timken collaborates closely with manufacturers to create bearings tailored to specific industry needs such as operating in harsh environments where wind turbines are located.
Q. Please shed some light on your manufacturing facilities and wherewithal.
Timken entered the Indian market with its first manufacturing plant in the industrial city of Jamshedpur in 1989 and began producing bearings in 1992. A second Timken plant in India began operations in Chennai in 2008. In 2018, Timken acquired Bharuch-based ABC Bearings and this plant now manufactures Timken® bearings that meet our stringent quality parameters. We are also setting up a new greenfield facility in Bharuch for CRB (Cylindrical Roller Bearings) and SRB (Spherical Roller Bearings). Beyond enhancing our presence in the Indian market, this strategic move positions us for increased exports and ensures timely delivery to our valued customers.
Timken plants manufacture world class products with best-in-class safety systems. Our manufacturing plants in India are certified to ISO 14001, ISO 45001 from environment and health and safety point of view and ISO 50001 from energy management perspective. Our global TQMS (Timken Quality Management Systems) is the foundation of our strong quality systems and is a framework to consistently produce quality Timken products irrespective of the location where the parts are manufactured.
With a committed team of manufacturing employees, Timken India is taking strong actions to drive our manufacturing footprint, enhance our quality and sustainability efforts, and is committed to providing world-class products and services to our customers.
Q. Please give some insights into your R & D which is at the root of your innovations and path-breaking solutions.
The Timken Technology Center in Bangalore provides customers with access to a wealth of engineering expertise and cutting-edge technological advancements. This center is pivotal in delivering products, services, and technical support that enhance equipment performance, addressing customer needs in design optimization, operational cost reduction, and specialized expertise.
At the forefront of driving innovation, the technology center in Bangalore leads initiatives across customer, product and application engineering, manufacturing advancement, information technology, and shared services. Notably, its contributions have played a significant role in fostering growth in renewable energy sales, underscoring Timken’s commitment to sustainable development and competitiveness. Simultaneously, substantial investments in stress analysis, vibration analysis, rheology, and tribology showcase Timken’s dedication to staying at the forefront of technological advancements.These efforts are geared towards delivering superior solutions to our customers and reinforcing our market position.
Q. What’s your roadmap for Timken India, and what are your growth strategies to make the most of the opportunities brought by a booming economy?
Our roadmap for Timken India aligns seamlessly with the dynamic opportunities presented by the booming economy, fueled in part by the government’s initiatives like ‘Make in India’. This transformative approach by the government, involving the liberalization of guidelines and regulations, has significantly reduced compliance burdens and enhanced the ease of doing business. Timken India is strategically positioned to capitalize on this favorable environment.
Innovation is an ongoing process and Timken continues to utilize its global pool of engineers and R&D capabilities to develop new products and solutions that meet the requirements of current as well as future industrial trends. Timken has remained a leader in diversification and portfolio expansion and shall continue its journey through strategic acquisitions and expansion of its product portfolio to clearly distinguish itself as an industry leader.
