NSK (Germany) - NSK Ltd. has completed the acquisition of Brüel & Kjær Vibro (‘B&K Vibro’), a global condition monitoring system (CMS) specialist. Following the initial announcement on 10 December 2020, finalising the purchase of B&K Vibro from Spectris Plc. will further strengthen NSK’s ability to meet customer demand for automation, labour savings, smart technology and environmentally sustainable solutions.

Condition monitoring is the process of checking a machine or system parameter, such as vibration or temperature, in order to identify a change which is indicative of a developing fault. The use of condition monitoring, which can take place while the machine is running, allows maintenance to be scheduled, or the implementation of other actions that prevent a major failure.

NSK’s acquisition of B&K Vibro will accelerate the development of its business platform in the growing CMS market. The core products of NSK’s portfolio – bearings, ball screws and linear guides – are vital components that directly affect the function and performance of machinery. NSK’s wealth of data and technology related to these components will prove invaluable in enhancing and developing B&K Vibro’s next-generation predictive maintenance systems, delivering new value to the market.

B&K Vibro has around 220 employees and annual sales of €52.5 million, with 43% of this figure attributable to sales in Europe. The company’s major markets are wind power (42%, over 30,000 installations), oil and gas (16%, more than 10,000 installations) and hydro and thermal power (7%, over 800 installations).

“Bringing B&K Vibro into the NSK Group marks the start of an exciting adventure to drive innovation in the rapidly growing market for CMS solutions,” says Saimon Nogami, Senior Executive Vice President, NSK Ltd. “Solutions from NSK and B&K Vibro are key to ensuring operational stability in mission-critical infrastructure for wind power, hydro power, manufacturing and other sectors that influence the daily life of societies around the world. We will draw on our synergies to maximise our CMS business platform and achieve long-term sustainable growth.”

Marcel Van Helten, CEO, B&K Vibro, adds: “B&K Vibro is truly honoured to become a part of NSK, a company that has set out to become a leader in condition monitoring. The synergies between our companies are evident, and with the combination of the talent and the knowledge residing within our companies, we will together be able to deliver exciting, innovative business and engineering solutions for our customers. We look forward to enhancing the NSK CMS business platform and accelerating growth in the burgeoning CMS market.”

About NSK Europe:

NSK Europe Ltd. is the European organisation of the Tokyo-based bearing manufacturer NSK, which was founded in Japan in 1916 and today employs nearly 31,000 people in its worldwide operations. The products and solutions provided by the industrial and automotive supplier can be found wherever things move. In addition to nearly all types of rolling bearings, the company’s portfolio includes housed bearings, linear technology, wheel bearing units, transmission and engine bearings and steering systems. The company is oriented to perfection in all of its business activities. Its aim is quality leadership in its industry, which it strives for through a continuous process of improvement, excellent product development, optimised production processes and customer-oriented service processes. In fiscal year 2019, the more than 4,400 employees of NSK Europe Ltd. generated sales of over € 920 million.