From a technical perspective, the industry is making significant strides, particularly at NBC, where innovation is core to our strategy: NBC Bearings

Dr. Lokesh Agrawal
CTO, NBC Bearings

1.Recent Advancements in Materials and Coatings for Enhanced Bearing Durability and Performance
The demands of modern powertrains, especially in Electric Vehicles (EVs), Hybrid vehicles and New Fuel Vehicles (NFVs) push bearing performance to new limits, requiring advancements in materials and surface engineering.

Electric Current Insulation: EV powertrains can generate stray currents which can damage standard bearings. We address this with electric insulated or conductive bearings. This is achieved through either ceramic balls or insulation coated rings or through creating a path of current to pass through to prevent electric erosion and ensure long life.

High Performance and Durability: For all demanding applications, including high-speed motor and transmission applications, we focus on designs with attributes like high accuracy, durability, reliability, and superior lubrication and sealing. Our EV-specific bearings, for instance, offer higher rpm capability, lower noise and friction, optimized power density, and a longer life compared to standard counterparts.

2. Specialized Bearing Designs for Challenging Sectors such as Aerospace, Automotive, and Renewable Energy
Customization and specialization are key to meeting the stringent requirements of high-stakes sectors.

Automotive (E-Mobility): The shift to EVs demands bearings significantly ahead in design and performance. Our EV portfolio includes specialized products for all major applications:

Motor: EMB Series (Electric motor bearings) high-speed bearings and SIB Series (Sensor Integrated Bearings). These sensors monitor parameters like rotational direction and position of rotor to help optimize operating parameters and could aid a higher EV range.

Transmission: Power-dense bearings for higher service life under severe conditions (high load, contamination, impact loads) and low torque/thin series bearings for improved efficiency.

Aerospace: Recognizing the unique needs of this sector, we’ve established a specialized business vertical having capability to design & develop along with a facility having AS9100 & NADCAP accreditation for aerospace bearings. This is a unique capability towards atmanirbhar bharat in alignment with 2047 vision.

3. Overcoming Technical Challenges in Bearing Applications for High-Temperature, High-Load, and Corrosive Environments
The operating conditions in new-generation powertrains and industrial equipment are far more extreme than conventional systems, necessitating continuous innovation.

Extreme Conditions: EV powertrains run at higher speeds and temperatures and often can’t be lubricated like ICE vehicles. We address this with specialized bearings designed for enhanced reliability, advanced sealing solutions, and lubrication mechanism.

Durability and Service Life: We focus on developing bearings that can consistently perform under challenging circumstances like heavy loads, high temperatures, dust, and moisture. The service intervals for EV powertrains are much longer, in some cases requiring the components to last their entire life without servicing, which drives the need for extended lifespan products.

4. How Precision and Reliability are Achieved in Bearings for Critical Applications so that the Country Need Not Look Outside for Bespoke Solutions
Precision and reliability start with a collaborative, application-specific approach and are secured through advanced engineering tools and stringent quality certifications.

Customization and Partnership: We operate under a “flexible solution” tagline, treating each inquiry as unique. Our engineering team partners with customers to define precise requirements and uses advanced simulation tools and a state-of-the-art testing facility to analyze and determine optimal product specifications.

While general specifications work sometimes, the majority of our work involves customization. We develop approximately 150 new products annually to cater to these bespoke customer needs.

Indigenous Technology: We have indigenously designed, developed and serialized Sensor Integrated Bearings (SIB) to EV OEMs across 2W, 3W, and passenger car segments. This expertise ensures we can meet domestic requirements without relying on imports for critical sensor-based solutions.

5. The Role of R&D in Driving Innovation and Meeting Industry-Specific Demands
R&D is the cornerstone of our ability to meet the fast-evolving demands of the global automotive & industrial landscape.

Innovation for Electrification: Our R&D focuses on enhancing energy efficiency through friction reduction, lightweight design, and innovative solutions like sensor integration, advanced sealing techniques, and application-specific designs.

This is in direct response to the key requirements for EV bearings, such as high speed, reduced frictional losses, compact design, minimal NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness), and sensor integration.

Global and Domestic R&D Setup: Most of our technological innovations are happening in India. To tap into overseas requirements and drive innovation globally, we have also opened a Global Technology Center at Wurzburg (GTCW) in Germany. This GTCW focuses on customer engineering and product development, metallurgy, levering local ecosystem, etc. for NBC ‘s worldwide needs.

6. How You Align Your Capabilities and Efforts to the ‘Make in India’ Mission of the Nation
Our strategy is deeply aligned with ‘Make in India’ through domestic manufacturing expansion, technological development, & entry into high-tech sectors.

Domestic Production & Expansion: We are an Indian manufacturer producing more than 250 million bearings annually in over 3100+ variants. We are expanding our production footprint in Bagru, near Jaipur, over the next four years.

Developing Indigenous Technology: The design, development, & validation of our indigenously designed SIBs for EVs, bearings for aerospace application, etc. exemplify self-reliance. This domestic technological capability ensures that as market grows, we can supply high-tech components locally.

Focus on High-Value Sectors: Our strategic push into the Aerospace industry with significant investment is aimed at integrating into the global supply chain, leveraging the rapid growth of Indian manufacturing, and addressing the growing demand for Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) services. This directly supports the nation’s goal of localizing high-tech manufacturing.

Global Network to Strengthen Domestic Capabilities: While the GTCW in Germany serves international customers, it also acts as an extended arm for NBC Bearings in India, driving innovation, speed, and advanced technical knowledge back into the domestic operation.

NBC Bearings’ Strategy for New Fuel Vehicles (NFVs), including Hydrogen Fuel Cell
Our approach for new fuel vehicles is based on proactive R&D and collaboration to ensure we have optimized bearing solutions ready as these technologies scale up.

Active R&D on NFVs: We are actively conducting research on bearings for new fuel vehicles from material, design, reliability and durability perspective.

Targeting Hydrogen Technology: Specifically, we are evaluating material & bearing modifications for upcoming hydrogen fuel cell/ICE powered vehicles. This proactive work ensures that NBC is positioned to support the industry’s transition, regardless of the ultimate powertrain winner.

OEM Collaboration: Our R&D team is working closely with both domestic and international OEMs to develop these bearings as per their specific requirement. This partnership model allows us to anticipate the unique demands of hydrogen powertrains, which may involve new challenges related to operating environment, temperature, or specific component design.

Customization and Adaptation: Similar to how we adapted bearings for the transition from BS4 to BS6 norm, CAFÉ norms and the introduction of RDE standards , a similar approach of timely development and adaptation will be followed for NFVs.

Our ability to customize products is key, as we approach each inquiry as unique and use advanced simulation tools to determine the optimal product specifications.

By focusing on these emerging technologies, NBC is ensuring its readiness to provide optimized bearing solutions for future generations of vehicles, fulfilling our commitment to support a greener & sustainable auto industry.