Executive Summary
Key Note estimates the apparent UK market for bearings, parts for bearings, and bearing housings incorporating bearings at £448.4m in 2000. Ball bearings constituted the largest single sector, with an apparent market value of £172.3m. UK manufacturers' sales of bearings, parts of bearings, and bearings in housings totalled £429m.
These figures relate to rolling bearings, which consist of an inner and an outer raceway, with a cage of rolling elements between the two. The market is generally subdivided into ball bearings, tapered roller bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, needle roller bearings and spherical roller bearings. Linear-motion bearings and bearing housings incorporating bearings are other important subsectors. Plain bearings, which usually require external lubrication, are not covered by this report.
The bearing market is generally regarded as being part of the power-transmission market, which includes automotive transmission systems. In 1999, bearings took a 45% share of the £954m apparent non-automotive power-transmission market.
The market is dominated by subsidiaries of overseas firms, principally with Swedish, Japanese, German, French and US ownership. Imports from these countries form the majority of supplies brought into the market from overseas. The major car manufacturers are thought to be the principal purchasers of bearings exported from the UK.
The apparent UK market for bearings is expected to remain relatively static over the next 5 years, growing to just £481.4m in 2005. Some recovery in the market is expected as a result of changes in the value of sterling, but the main market influences are expected to be the growing globalisation of bearing sales and suppliers' relationships with vehicle manufacturers.
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