Bearings are a major component in and critical to our everyday lives. Bearings reduce friction, enabling smooth acceleration in automobiles, quiet-running ceiling fans, accurate microscopes and effective dental drills. Improvements in anti-friction bearings have played a significant role in the enhanced mobility of society in the last century.
Bearings are highly engineered, precision-made components that enable machinery to move at extremely high speeds and carry remarkable loads with ease and efficiency.
If something twists, turns or moves, it probably has a bearing in it.
Bearings have a long and storied history, often used to build some of history’s most important structures. Read below for a brief history of the bearing industry.