JTEKT is one of the three largest bearing suppliers in Japan, along with NSK and NTN. The original company dates back to 1935 when it was called Koyo Seiko, and some may remember the blue Koyo logo on bearings packages. The company is part of the Toyota Group but supplies many automotive companies from Ford to Polaris, and aerospace firms as well. In a rare behind-the-scenes look at JTEKT’s Tokushima plant, you can now see how its precision bearings are made.
First the steel balls that make up the inside of the bearings are heat-treated for hardness, then polished to a mirror finish. Meanwhile, forging of the inner and outer rings takes place on a separate line. Those are also heat-treated and polished. Finally, the rings and ball bearings are joined together with a plastic retainer and seal for use on cars.
Bearings have always been one of those things that make us marvel at their construction. Spinning them around in your hands can be quite satisfying. Seeing how they’re made is almost as satisfying, and the video would make for some good industrial ASMR if it weren’t for the piano soundtrack.
Beautiful for the eyes, but sadly the things I wanted to see most must have been industrial secrets and not shown.
Things like how do they make the balls round, and how do they test for that roundness, ow to they polish them, how do they inject the grease in the finished bearing (it might be shown though, I think we saw that part, but not the injection).
Also, since the balls are hardened and must be perfectly round, is it not risky to drop them from this height, I believe that some flat spots could be created?
I totally agree, how do they make those balls perfectly round?
Does this subject matter have a bearing on anything?
No, Seriously…. Mesmorising and enjoyable. The processing sounds and music alone was great, but the video added that extra dimension.
Very therapeutic – I now have a soundtrack to go to sleep by.
The downside is, I find I have simultaneously developed an unhealthy obsession with balls and rings…