Incheon, South Korea-based bearing manufacturer SGO said it will invest more than $4.5 million to set up bearing production facilities at a site in India. Some of its oilless bearings use a powder or solid type lubricant, made with natural graphite, molybdenum disulfide or polytetrafluoroethylene, commonly known as PTFE.
The company established a local subsidiary in India late last year to meet demand for its bearings in the worldwide market, the company said in a Feb. 26 news release, and purchased 13,000 square meters of land in Chennai on which to set up bearing production facilities, including a foundry. By the second half of this year, it plans to produce and supply oilless bearings and bronze bars used in bearings to Indian construction equipment companies, plastic injection machine manufacturers and Korean auto parts manufacturers, as well as its worldwide customers.
According to SGO’s website, its oilless bearing can improve productivity and save cost and time by having material properties that can withstand both high and low temperatures, corrosive environment, foreign particles, and impact load. The bearings come in various shapes and materials, including metal, non-metal, plastic and ceramic.
Founded in Korea in 2000, SGO specializes in design, development and production of oilless bearings for use in industrial machines, molds and automobile manufacturing. The company said its oilless bearings are ideal for hydro-dam facilities and food manufacturing facilities in situations where lubricating oils or greases cannot be used.
According to its website, its oilless bearings typically use either solid lubricants or liquid lubes such as water.
A solid lubricant is a powder or dry material used in harsh conditions such as high-temperature and corrosion environments. Some of SGO’s bearings use PTFE and a special additive, while others use a combination of a natural graphite and a PTFE lubricant. Others use a combination of a natural graphite and a metal powder. An example of an SGO bearing using liquid lubrication is one that uses oil impregnation with a porous cast iron material.
South Korean bearing manufacturer SGO plans to invest more than $4.5 million to set up bearing production facilities in Chennai, India. Its oilless bearings typically use a powder or solid type lubricant, generally made with natural graphite, molybdenum disulfide or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, better known as Teflon).