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There is so much to consider beyond the cost of a single bearing. In this month's newsletter, we give you details of what affects your true costs and how you can prolong the life of your bearings.

Many believe a low Unit Price outweighs the benefit of considering the actual Cost of Ownership. It is certainly easier to just buy low but when you carefully consider all of the factors impacting the cost of a product, a low unit price can turn out to be expensive.

Let's consider what factors are involved.

Inventory & carrying costs - The cost incurred to carry product on your shelf. Space, risk of loss, expiration of lubrication and cycle counting are all costs to be carefully considered. Let National eliminate all of these requirements by stocking the bearings for you.

Lead-times - Cost of waiting for the product to be delivered when your current manufacturing lead times vary from 20 weeks to 42 week. This is an ever changing target and a consistent issue affecting actual cost. National has the ability to eliminate lead-time by working closely with your production demands and stocking the product in support of your actual needs.

Flexibility - The ability to pull-in or push-out product as necessary to meet demand. In most cases manufacturers cannot accommodate a schedule change. National offers the ability to adjust your scheduled product as necessary to match your demand.

Minimum order quantity - Manufacturers require minimum order quantities. Some require 50 or 100 piece purchases. What is the cost of unnecessary extra product? In many cases, National will forego minimum manufacturing requirements if consistent future demand exists for the product.

Quality - Cost of poor quality. Make the wrong vendor choice and the costs will be significant. National's vast experience eliminates the selection of questionable vendors with historically poor quality performance.

Delivery performance - Cost of late delivery. This can be huge! National works closely with your production schedule to ensure products are delivered when required. Our goal is 100% on time delivery!

Vendor Management - Cost of managing multiple vendors. This is a time consuming process for most customers. National eliminates the need to contact and manage numerous suppliers. At National this is our role. We manage all vendors and become your single point of contact for bearings.


Next time you are about to make a purchase based on a low unit price, remember National Precision Bearing will deliver the product with a far lower cost of ownership, all things considered. If you would like to learn more about our proven abilities, please contact National Precision Bearing at 800-426-8038 or sales@nationalprecision.com

Scott Dumas, VP of National Precision Bearing


You wouldn't try to replace a Corvette's wheel using a pair of vice grips. Why would you use a mallet and chisel to remove and install a bearing in an airplane?

The use of makeshift bearing installation tools and methods can result in several expensive unintended consequences. At its worst, the misapplication of force can result in significant damage to both the bearing and the housing. At best, parts are subjected to unnecessary stresses that could potentially shorten their serviceable life requiring more frequent maintenance cycles and increased potential for unexpected failure. Fortunately, these risks are easily avoidable with the use of appropriate staking, swaging, cutting tools and proof load testers. Designed for easily repeatable bearing installation and removal, these tools are available in forms suitable for shop environments or more portable on-site repair applications.

Most commonly used for installation of bearings with V-grooves, swagers come in a variety of forms. Tri-Roller tools evenly push the bearing material over the housing by combining a rotating action and downward pressure to ensure an even swage. An animation is available on our website to illustrate this device in action. Click here to view the Swaging animation. Anvil swagers in combination with an arbor press may be used to swage both sides of a bearing at once. Other custom and common swagers are also available for various applications, including segment stakers for housing over bearing and sleeve bearings.

Equally important as proper installation, is the correct removal of the bearing. Cutting tools are designed to remove a specific bearing with minimum damage to the housing assembly, saving the added expense of reworking the housing.

Just as a lug and torque wrench on a wheel, having the right tool for installing and removing bearings, results in better efficiency and quality with every use. With a selection of in stock or custom built solutions, National Precision Bearing can help select and tailor a product for you.

National Precision Bearing offers:

  • A Selection of Drill Press swaging tools in stock
  • Portable options for on-sight application
  • Flexible combo tools for larger size bearings
  • Tool Kits for specific programs
  • Proof Load testers to meet OEM specifications
  • Custom tool design

Click here to view our Bearing Staking, Removal, and Testing Product Brochure

Visit our website at www.nationalprecision.com

Submitted by the Aircraft Product Group


After you have accessed our related website links on staking tools, please contact us if you have further questions on why using the correct tool is essential. 800-426-8038


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NATIONAL PRECISION BEARING GROUP of Mechatronics, Inc.
Phone: 800-426-8038 • 425-222-5900 • Fax: 888-448-1153 • 425-222-5950
E-mail: sales@nationalprecision.com

Copyright © 2009, National Precision Bearing, Inc.