In the core operating parts of various mechanical equipment, there is always a seemingly insignificant but crucial small component that silently plays a role, which is the bearing. As the "joints" of machinery, bearings, with their seemingly small bodies, leverage the development of a huge industry, and their influence permeates every corner of industrial production and daily life.
From the perspective of market size, the bearing industry shows a significant volume that cannot be underestimated. According to relevant data, the global bearing market size will reach 130.2 billion US dollars in 2022, with the Chinese market accounting for about 34% and contributing over 44 billion US dollars. The domestic bearing industry achieved a revenue of 250 billion yuan that year. By 2023, the size of China's bearing market will increase to 278.5 billion yuan, with a production of 27.5 billion sets. It is expected that the market size will exceed 300 billion yuan and the production will reach 29.6 billion sets by 2024. And it is expected that by 2025, the Chinese bearing market will maintain an average annual growth rate of 8% -10%, with a scale expected to exceed 350 billion yuan. Behind the continuously growing numbers is the strong demand generated by the widespread application of bearings.
The application field of bearings is extremely wide, and the automotive industry is the first to bear the brunt. There are approximately 30 types and more than 50 sets of bearings distributed in an ordinary car, from the chassis and gearbox to the wheels and engine. Bearings are like the "meridians" of the car, ensuring smooth power transmission and precise operation of various components, directly related to the power performance, reliability, safety, and comfort of the car. In the field of industrial manufacturing, the efficient and precise machining of machine tool equipment relies on the stable support of high-precision bearings, whose performance directly affects machining accuracy and production efficiency; The large bearings of wind turbines need to withstand huge loads and complex stresses to ensure the continuous and stable rotation of blades, achieving efficient conversion of wind energy to electrical energy. In addition, bearings are also indispensable in emerging and high-end industries such as robotics, aerospace, and medical equipment, and have put forward more stringent requirements for their performance indicators such as accuracy, reliability, and lifespan.
Technological innovation has always been the core driving force for the development of the bearing industry. Currently, the industry is making great strides towards intelligence, digitization, high-end, lightweight, and green direction. In terms of intelligence and digitization, some leading enterprises have introduced new production equipment, built intelligent unmanned factories and digital management platforms, and achieved precise control and efficient management of the production process. Taking Suzhou Axle Co., Ltd. as an example, by increasing investment in "smart transformation and digital transformation", not only has the production problem of traditional products been solved, but production efficiency and product quality have also been significantly improved. In the process of high-end development, enterprises focus on core technology research and development, striving to break the technological monopoly of foreign countries in the field of high-end bearings. For example, Anhui Hanzheng Bearing Technology Co., Ltd. in Lingbi County has collaborated with universities to develop an advanced bearing steel production line for high-end equipment manufacturing, reducing the cost of high-end bearing steel and improving product performance. Lightweight design optimizes the structure and selects new materials to reduce weight while ensuring bearing performance, meeting the demand for lightweight equipment in aerospace, new energy vehicles, and other industries. In terms of green development, enterprises actively adopt environmentally friendly materials and processes to reduce energy consumption and pollution in the production process, which is in line with the concept of sustainable development.
Bearings, this small component, with their crucial role in multiple fields, vast market size, continuous technological innovation, and dynamic competitive landscape, have supported a large-scale and promising industry. Looking ahead to the future, with the rise of emerging industries and the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, the bearing industry will surely usher in more development opportunities and continue to shine in the process of promoting global industrial progress.
