Pre-load of new bearings

[Keith MoatParticipant @keithmoat36026]

I did read the whole post but I was confused by your "5 minutes turn" comment. 5 minutes is 1/12th of a degree and I can't judge 1/12th of a degree by eye. I am now thinking you may mean 5 minutes on a clock face, or 30 degrees, which would make it more do-able, is that right ?

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

Yes, I meant 5 minutes on a clock face, sorry to confuse.

Ketan at ARC.

[Keith MoatParticipant @keithmoat36026]

Got it now, thanks. I've just got to assemble my bearing press and I'm good to go.

[RMAParticipant @rma]

Real feeling of nostalgia here reading this post. Sadly Timken (British Timken) no longer exists as they transferred operations from the UK to India and the two factories I spent my apprenticeship at are now housing estates!

I spent a while as a technical rep for the company before moving on to new pastures and I would advise anyone who has doubts about fitting bearings on a machine tool to ask the bearing company for advice. No point in trying to re-invent the wheel as it's old technology and all the info is readily available.

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

Posted by RMA on 11/05/2020 13:56:59:

Real feeling of nostalgia here reading this post. Sadly Timken (British Timken) no longer exists as they transferred operations from the UK to India and the two factories I spent my apprenticeship at are now housing estates!

I spent a while as a technical rep for the company before moving on to new pastures and I would advise anyone who has doubts about fitting bearings on a machine tool to ask the bearing company for advice. No point in trying to re-invent the wheel as it's old technology and all the info is readily available.

I have a good collection of bearing catalogues accumulated over the years. Initially, trading in bearings was our main business. Here is a photo of a small section of the book shelf just above where I sit in the office:

It represents a snap-shot of how Timken went through transformation of ownership over time …. TIMKEN.. followed by being part of Torrington, .. followed by separation into Koyo – JTEKT taking over Torrington… and so on. These buy-out and changes have always been there, and very common in the bearing industry.

I was once told by the Torrington rep., that the likes of TIMKEN/Torrington were mainly here/ there to primarily serve the automotive production industry. When I entered the bearing sales industry back in the late 1980s, Mr. Timken was busy trying to shut down Chinese factories which were making equivalent type of bearings. Ten odd years later, Timkens own production to serve Asian markets is based there, along with other locations throughout Asia. By the time we stopped getting direct supply from TIMKEN when it was part of Torrington in mid 2000s, the European market for Tapper Roller Bearings was served by their production facilities in Turkey. By this time, it was difficult to consider/justify paying the prices they wanted for the brand for 'standard' TRB sizes, when we could get Japanese equivalents in NACHI and KOYO – without compromise on quality – for nearly half the cost which TIMKEN – made in Turkey wanted.

From what I can see from this link, currently TIMKEN still remains an AMERICAN brand, with FAFNIR being part of it. Operations – as in decision making – still remain firmly in Ohio USA, with Madras – Chennai link just being another part of their global empire to serve their customer base, wherever they may be.

Ketan at ARC.

Edited By Ketan Swali on 11/05/2020 15:52:16

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

For the spindle on the Tom Senior, I bought an SKF lower metric taper roller which is made in Germany, but the new imperial taper roller for the top bearing is a Timken, and I was surprised that the inner race, cage and rollers are made in the USA and the outer ring in France. I queried this with the supplier and they said that was normal, and so far they have not given any sign of problems.

[RMAParticipant @rma]

Posted by Ketan Swali on 11/05/2020 15:51:44:

Posted by RMA on 11/05/2020 13:56:59:

Real feeling of nostalgia here reading this post. Sadly Timken (British Timken) no longer exists as they transferred operations from the UK to India and the two factories I spent my apprenticeship at are now housing estates!

I spent a while as a technical rep for the company before moving on to new pastures and I would advise anyone who has doubts about fitting bearings on a machine tool to ask the bearing company for advice. No point in trying to re-invent the wheel as it's old technology and all the info is readily available.

I have a good collection of bearing catalogues accumulated over the years. Initially, trading in bearings was our main business. Here is a photo of a small section of the book shelf just above where I sit in the office:

It represents a snap-shot of how Timken went through transformation of ownership over time …. TIMKEN.. followed by being part of Torrington, .. followed by separation into Koyo – JTEKT taking over Torrington… and so on. These buy-out and changes have always been there, and very common in the bearing industry.

I was once told by the Torrington rep., that the likes of TIMKEN/Torrington were mainly here/ there to primarily serve the automotive production industry. When I entered the bearing sales industry back in the late 1980s, Mr. Timken was busy trying to shut down Chinese factories which were making equivalent type of bearings. Ten odd years later, Timkens own production to serve Asian markets is based there, along with other locations throughout Asia. By the time we stopped getting direct supply from TIMKEN when it was part of Torrington in mid 2000s, the European market for Tapper Roller Bearings was served by their production facilities in Turkey. By this time, it was difficult to consider/justify paying the prices they wanted for the brand for 'standard' TRB sizes, when we could get Japanese equivalents in NACHI and KOYO – without compromise on quality – for nearly half the cost which TIMKEN – made in Turkey wanted.

From what I can see from this link, currently TIMKEN still remains an AMERICAN brand, with FAFNIR being part of it. Operations – as in decision making – still remain firmly in Ohio USA, with Madras – Chennai link just being another part of their global empire to serve their customer base, wherever they may be.

Ketan at ARC.

Edited By Ketan Swali on 11/05/2020 15:52:16

Thanks for the update since the '80's. I lost track of the company, and a few colleagues when they shut down in England. I know a fellow apprentice who ended up being the works engineer and went to India to set up the factory there, and then was no longer needed!

When I started in the '60's, production at Northampton was mainly for automotive and machine tools. Business boomed when the Vietnam war was on, a whole production facility for fighting vehicles, and we had many car plants around the country then.  Larger bearings and railway axle boxes were produced at the Daventry factory. Large bearings used on radar installations and larger machine tools, even the BT tower in London. As a rep, I visited many customers making cars; trucks; planes; machine tools and ships, in fact anything that required bearings. What industry we had then!

It was a great place to work, they relocated from Birmingham during the war into a brand new factory which at the time was the largest factory in Europe. The only reminders now are a couple of road names on the new housing estates…..how times change!

Edited By RMA on 11/05/2020 18:00:36

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by Ketan Swali on 11/05/2020 15:51:44:

Posted by RMA on 11/05/2020 13:56:59:….

the European market for Tapper Roller Bearings was served by their production facilities in Turkey. By this time, it was difficult to consider/justify paying the prices they wanted for the brand for 'standard' TRB sizes, when we could get Japanese equivalents in NACHI and KOYO – without compromise on quality – for nearly half the cost which TIMKEN – made in Turkey wanted.

I've found Nachi bearings quality to be faultless. Been using them for years. I figure if they are good enough for Honda they are good enough for me.

Koyo I believe have recently taken over ownership of the Torrington arm of Timken in the USA. The critical Torrington needle rollers we use in high-performance Harley engines are now still made in USA but come branded as Koyo. Not any cheaper though!

[Leo F Byrne 1Participant @leofbyrne1]

Ketan at Arc is always very helpful and knowledgeable. Unfortunately, his name is ‘Megan’ according to predictive spelling.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

But he only dresses that way at weekends

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

Posted by JasonB on 12/05/2020 10:02:05:

But he only dresses that way at weekends

[john fletcher 1Participant @johnfletcher1]

All very interesting, does anyone know what happened to Ransome & Marles bearing manufactures of Newark Notts. Maybe another housing estate by now. John

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

Posted by Hopper on 11/05/2020 23:58:59:

Posted by Ketan Swali on 11/05/2020 15:51:44:

Posted by RMA on 11/05/2020 13:56:59:….

the European market for Tapper Roller Bearings was served by their production facilities in Turkey. By this time, it was difficult to consider/justify paying the prices they wanted for the brand for 'standard' TRB sizes, when we could get Japanese equivalents in NACHI and KOYO – without compromise on quality – for nearly half the cost which TIMKEN – made in Turkey wanted.

I've found Nachi bearings quality to be faultless. Been using them for years. I figure if they are good enough for Honda they are good enough for me.

Koyo I believe have recently taken over ownership of the Torrington arm of Timken in the USA. The critical Torrington needle rollers we use in high-performance Harley engines are now still made in USA but come branded as Koyo. Not any cheaper though!

Koyo took the Torrington brand and all its production factories for needle roller bearings around 2010, when the group was split up. At the same time we lost our direct distributorship. Thereafter their re-branding took place, and they pushed out this message by 2013.

Ketan at ARC

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

Posted by john fletcher 1 on 12/05/2020 10:48:26:

All very interesting, does anyone know what happened to Ransome & Marles bearing manufactures of Newark Notts. Maybe another housing estate by now. John

They joined Hoffman and Pollard to form RHP… later sold off to NSK-Japan, then re-established in new buildings in Ruddington. Not 100% sure of the old buildings, but guessing that they were sold off for housing development.

Ketan at ARC.

Edited By Ketan Swali on 12/05/2020 10:54:31

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

Posted by RMA on 11/05/2020 17:40:13:

Posted by Ketan Swali on 11/05/2020 15:51:44:

Posted by RMA on 11/05/2020 13:56:59:

Real feeling of nostalgia here reading this post.

Larger bearings and railway axle boxes were produced at the Daventry factory. Large bearings used on radar installations and larger machine tools, even the BT tower in London. As a rep, I visited many customers making cars; trucks; planes; machine tools and ships, in fact anything that required bearings. What industry we had then!

It was a great place to work, they relocated from Birmingham during the war into a brand new factory which at the time was the largest factory in Europe. The only reminders now are a couple of road names on the new housing estates…..how times change!

Edited By RMA on 11/05/2020 18:00:36

Talking about nostalgia, your comments about large bearings reminded me of the one or two times I visited Phoenix Bearings in Tewkesbury. They had some seriously large lathes. Originally part of Blackwell Bearings, they were one of the few specialised makers of big bearings in the U.K. especially for the MoD – Navy. Just looked them up on google followed by Companies House, to find they went into liquidation, and finally dissolved on 11 March 2020 this year. A little surprised and sad.

Ketan at ARC.

Edited By Ketan Swali on 12/05/2020 11:54:18

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