Hello dear readers,

Here I am with a new story from the bearing industry! 😊

I hope you enjoyed the previous text and now that we have met, we can dive a little deeper into the world of bearings together. This time, I want to share a special experience I had in Schweinfurt, in the heart of Schaeffler - our main supplier.

I had the honor to visit the production facility and logistics centers of the Schaeffler company with the director, Tamara Stančev. This visit allowed us to understand how and by which processes high-quality bearings of the INA and FAG brands are produced, the use of which is widespread in our region thanks to Ljubex. After the production tour, we learned more about the proper storage and preservation of a large number of manufactured bearings for our customers.

As one of the important distributors in our region, this visit is recognition and confirmation for Ljubex that it provides its products and services at the highest level of commitment and expertise.

I want to share with you the key manufacturing steps that are necessary to create top quality bearings with a long service life.

The basic components of bearings are outer ring, inner ring, rolling elements and cage.

Production processes that are key to the formation of the above components are forging, heat treatment, machining, finishing, corrosion protection.

Forging/Plastic deformation: The outer and inner rings are obtained by a technological operation called forging, while the rolling elements are formed by plastic deformation.

Heat treatment: After the first stage, the components undergo heat treatment to improve strength, wear resistance and other mechanical characteristics that allow the bearings to work in different conditions, whether it is extreme temperatures, humidity or aggressive environments.

Machining: The machining process allows achieving the exact dimensions and shape of the components, which makes the products reliable and long-lasting.

Final treatment: Additional finishing operations are applied to eliminate surface roughness and reduce friction, which is essential for proper wear-free bearing operation.

Corrosion protection: Corrosion protection coatings or treatments are applied to ensure long bearing life.

Component control and assembly: Finally, there is a detailed check of the dimensions and quality of all components and their joining into a functional bearing. After assembly, the bearings undergo rigorous quality control. Quality certificates confirm compliance with standards.

Bearing storage: Once the quality is confirmed, the process of packing the bearings and storing them follows.

After visiting the production plant, we had the opportunity to visit two warehouses - in Schweinfurt and Kitzingen. In addition to the proper storage of a large number of bearings, my special attention was drawn to the modernized processes of packing and separating the ordered bearings. It is this efficiency of the Schaeffler logistics center – fast and safe delivery that directly contributes to customer satisfaction, strengthening their confidence in the products and services we provide.

It's not just the product quality that impressed us. Their sustainable goals until 2030, such as reducing the environmental impact of production and increasing the participation of women in business, reflect a commitment to environmental care and social responsibility. Our Ljubex team already has 50% women in the collective.

This visit further strengthened the cooperation, making us even more proud to be part of this global family of high quality bearings. I look forward to further steps of our cooperation and look forward to sharing more exciting experiences from the world of bearings.

Thank you for following my blog, and see you soon!

Lidija Jelić