BRAND OVERVIEW - SKF
TFL Bearings: High quality bearings, an ideal choice to replace SKF.
A Century-Old Bearing Company from Sweden
SKF (Svenska Kullagerfabriken) is located in Sweden and is a world-leading manufacturer of bearings, seals, lubrication systems, mechatronics and related services.
The company was founded in 1907 in Gothenburg, Sweden, by Sven Wingquist, the inventor of the self-aligning ball bearing, and has now grown into a global industry giant.
As the largest bearing manufacturer, SKF employs about 40,000 people across 108 manufacturing units. It has the largest industrial distributor network in the industry, with 17,000 distributors located in 130 countries and regions.
Signature Bearing Products
Although SKF offers a wide range of product portfolios, bearings remain at the core of its business. Its key and widely recognized bearing product categories include:
- Deep Groove Ball Bearings
- Spherical Roller Bearings
- Cylindrical Roller Bearings
- Tapered Roller Bearings
- Angular Contact Ball Bearings
- Bearing Units
Excellent Brand Strategy
SKF has rapidly expanded its business capabilities and market penetration through strategic acquisitions. Although most of the products were integrated into the SKF product line after being acquired, the original impact and product awareness of these brands have not disappeared. Instead, they have become a powerful stepping-stone for SKF to enter new fields, enabling the sub-brands and SKF to jointly form a new product portfolio.
In the field of bearings, some well-known SKF sub-brands are:
- SKF Cooper: A specialist in split roller bearings, which can be installed without disassembling surrounding equipment.
- PEER Bearing: Focused primarily on the agricultural field, while also serving electrical and general industrial fields.
- General Bearing: Focus on manufacturing, assembling and distributing various radial ball bearings.
- Kaydon: Renowned for designing and producing custom and specialty bearings, including thin-section and slewing ring bearings.
TFL VS SKF
Lower MOQ
Our minimum order quantity (MOQ) is lower, making your purchasing plan more flexible and reducing the pressure on inventory and budget.
Cost Effectiveness
We offer bearings that balance performance and cost, save your company’s procurement costs, and enhance the competitiveness of your products.
Fast Delivery
Most orders will be shipped within 10 days or less. No need for excessive waiting. Reduce inventory costs and make your capital turnover more flexible.
Rapid Response
Our service team delivers rapid responses. We can efficiently resolve your problems and provide purchase plans, minimizing your waiting time.
TECHNICAL DOCUMENT DOWNLOAD
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why are SKF bearings so expensive?
- High R&D costs: SKF invest over approximately 3.3 billion SEK annually in research and development. The proportion of R&D personnel reaches 12%, far exceeding the industry average.
- High bearing quality: The special steel selected by SKF is 40%-60% more expensive than ordinary steel. Advanced technologies such as soft-zone-free quenching technology are used to improve the bearing lifespan.
- Focus on the high-end market: SKF focuses on the high-end market and dominanting in the fields of wind power, aviation, and precision machine tools.
- Environmentally friendly production: SKF replaces traditional solvents with water-based cleaning agents, reducing VOC emissions by 90%, while increasing equipment investment by 300%.
- Service premium: The "Total Reliability" service package includes condition monitoring, lubrication management, and life prediction. The service fees account for 25% of the total contract value.
SKF or Timken?
Both SKF and Timken are leading players in the bearing industry. However, the product positioning of the two brands is somewhat different. You can determine which brand of bearings to purchase according to your needs:
- SKF bearings are more suitable for precision manufacturing and complex working conditions. Take the Explorer series as an example: This series improves the load capacity by optimising the roller profile and contact angle, and is widely used in high-speed and high-precision machine tool spindles.
- Timken demonstrates strong competitiveness in the heavy industry with its excellent rigidity and load-bearing capacity. Timken bearings are made of Duraspexx™ alloy steel, which achieves a 15% hardness increase and 25% longer service life due to enhanced wear resistance. It is the top choice for heavy industry equipment such as mining machinery.
SKF and Timken, respectively, represent the "benchmark of precision manufacturing" and the "heavy-duty expert" in the bearing industry. If you pursue ultimate performance, digital services, or adaptation to complex working conditions, SKF is a better choice; if you focus on cost control, power transmission efficiency, or heavy industry applications, Timken is more competitive.
The bearings manufactured by TFL Bearing can also be smoothly substituted for SKF bearings and Timken bearings. If you need assistance with selection, feel free to contact us at any time!
How long is the delivery lead time of SKF bearings?
The delivery lead time is generally affected by the place of receipt and the inventory availability, with inventory playing a more significant role. For example:
- When there is stock available, it is the fastest, usually within 1-7 days.
- If there is no stock in the regional warehouse and it needs to be allocated from other regions, the cycle is approximately 2-4 weeks (sea freight) or 3-7 days (air freight).
- If there is no inventory and the factory needs to schedule production, the production cycle is usually 4-12 weeks, depending on production capacity, order priority, and process complexity.
If you're concerned about lead time, TFL Bearing is here to help. We offer a wide range of high-quality bearings and maintain ample inventory, ensuring that 90% of our orders are shipped within just 10 days. Feel free to contact us anytime for the latest quotes and purchasing options. We’d be happy to assist you!
Can SKF bearings be interchange with other brands?
If an interchange is required, it is necessary to consider and confirm whether the key parameters—including inner diameter, outer diameter, width, tolerance, clearance, etc. are completely consistent.
- General Machinery: if parameters align, bearings of common brands can generally be interchanged.
- Precision Machinery: It is necessary to give priority to the OEM or bearings of the same brand to avoid the risk of downtime caused by performance.
- Professional Consultation: If you still have questions about bearing interchange, you can contact SKF’s official customer service or contact us. TFL Bearing can provide you with a comprehensive interchange solutions and procurement advice at any time.
- Testing and Monitoring: After the first replacement, it is recommended to conduct short-term monitoring of the equipment's operating status (such as temperature, vibration, noise). After confirming that there are no abnormalities, proceed with batch replacement.
OUR PROCESS
Contact
Initial Contact
01
Budgeting
Specialists Review
Needs
02
Options
Our Engineers Help YouChoose The RightBearings
03
Plant Visit
Option To Visit OurManufacturing Plant
04
Delivery
Your entire order is
delivered.
05
Support
We provide ongoingproduct support
06