HIGHEST GRADE STEEL
High-quality bearings require high-quality raw materials. Steel cleanliness is the key element in choosing materials that can remarkably improve bearing fatigue performance and load carrying capacity. Based on a long collaboration with the most renowned steelmakers worldwide, RKB can currently rely on different types of steel (5 throughhardening and 2 case-hardening), which are purposely selected according to bearing characteristics and application requirements
RKB makes use of SAE 52100 steel to manufacture rolling bearings for common applications. Under certain circumstances and most of all for medium and large size bearings, SAE 52100/A is adopted. Regarding critical applications, a special bearing steel (SAE A485 or RKB Type.RAV), with higher cleanliness and specific mechanical properties, is used. This steel, obtainedthrough the Vacuum Degassed Electroslag Remelting process (VAC-ESR), has lower levels of non-metallic inclusions and ensures premium product reliability and performance. As for the manufacture of rollers, the RKB Group can use SAE 52100/A.F forged steel (Tough Roller Technology) to guarantee better resistance to corrosion, wear, fatigue and stationary loads, especially in harsh conditions.
For special industrial applications, RKB can exploit the properties of the SAE 9315 case-hardened steel, which is a nickel-chrome-molybdenum steel.
NEWEST TECHNOLOGY
The RKB Group allocates yearly around 10% of the turnover to its Research and Development Department. As a consequence, RKB’s technology, know-how, engineering and R&D, with fully equipped metallographic and metrological laboratories, the Advanced Software Engineering Unit for mechanical design and the ever-growing test rig center, permit to manufacture top quality rolling bearings.
In the last years RKB has heavily expanded its production sites, acquiring and mastering the latest technology available in the market:
- Leading-edge R&D and Engineering supported by advanced calculation and simulation tools for continuous improvement of inner design and geometry of bearing parts
- Fully equipped metrological and chemical laboratories for comprehensive bearing analysis
- Top quality hardened bearing steel with cleanliness specifications up to Grade A as per Standards specs ASTM E3 and E45 (JX80X Series Protocol and RD1-800 Series Protocol)
- Special bearing steel Type.RA or Type.RAV for premium reliability in critical/severe applications (equivalent to Grade 6 and Grade 7)
- Manufacturing finishing up to roughness value Ra = 0,2 (latest generation CNC super-finishing grinders)
- ‘Tough-rollers’ manufacturing technology (dia. min. 30-40 mm)
- Anti-wear surface treatment technology for rings and/or rollers (AWT)
- Phosphate treatment technology (PT)
- Special heat treatment technology for rings stabilization up to S4
- Advanced hardening treatment technology (including bainite HB)
RELATION BETWEEN PRICE AND QUALITY
At RKB, we are specialized in supplying ultimate quality products at the best possible price. Our principle is to put the customer’s needs first, because our job is your business satisfaction. Our huge and always up-to-date plants and our logistics warehouses in Balerna and Milan provide us with the assurance that our customers will always link the word “satisfaction” with our brand name.
RKB manufactures all of its bearings in conformity with the related international standards in its three owned modern plants that are ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified, and audited and approved by several key clients and independent bearing test centers.
For all these reasons, RKB is universally recognized as “The Alternative Power” in the bearing industry.
URGENT TECHNICAL MAINTENANCE
RKB’s Technical Team Unit (TTU) is the division of the Technical Department that offers technical assistance directly at customer’s site. The Unit is made up of skilled application engineers and experienced mechanic assistants that feature:
- bearing mounting supervision
- condition monitoring services, including visual, shock and vibration analysis
- training with maintenance and technical staff, focusing on lubrication and correct mounting and dismounting procedures
For machinery already in operation, RKB can provide value-added recommendations for:
- lubrication system and lubricants, in order to favor elastohydrodynamic conditions and decrease overall operating temperature
- regreasing intervals and grease amount to be used
- bearing handling and maintenance
Through the process of reverse engineering, RKB’s Technical Team Unit can deduce decisions from end products in applications which have incomplete or obsolete documentation. The experience of RKB TTU is instrumental in solving machine and bearing design problems starting from little or no knowledge about the original components installed in the application. The analysis of the current mechanical design and operating conditions can also led to recommended structural improvements, optimizing the overall performance.
WIDE SELECTION
RKB believes that stock availability is a crucial function for a world class bearing manufacturer’s consistency, market presence and brand awareness.
The RKB Group has one of the largest stocks of rolling bearings worldwide. With over 6.000 part numbers ranging from small to extra-large sizes, the current stock reflects the long standing experience and international vocation of RKB to support customers in a variety of industries worldwide. Naturally, besides a well-stocked warehouse in terms of bearing variety and availability, a strong logistics organization is strictly necessary to efficiently serve the international market.
For this reason, all RKB stocks around the world are run by a proprietary software system (ASSM – Active Stock System Management) that optimizes lead time and drastically decreases machine downtime for the customer.
Finally, RKB’s stock strategy features the “JIT Bundle” which supports a special form of inhouse consignment stock program to ease the customer’s financial position and ensure availability of requisite spare parts based on a partnership approach.
