- Business
- AB SKF (publ) is a global leader in the development, manufacture, and supply of bearings, seals, lubrication systems, and related products and services for rotating equipment. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio including rolling bearings, mounted units and housings, super-precision bearings, slewing bearings, plain bearings, magnetic bearings, and thin-section bearings; industrial and automotive seals; lubricants, manual lubrication tools, lubricators, automatic lubrication systems, and lubrication components; maintenance products such as hydraulic, mechanical, and alignment tools, as well as heaters; power transmission components including belts, pulleys, chains, sprockets, bushings, hubs, couplings, and bolts; mechatronics products; condition monitoring systems; and test and measuring equipment like waviness analyzers, noise and vibration testers, and grease test rigs. It provides application engineering services encompassing technical consultancy, numerical simulation, design, and root cause analysis; asset management services including maintenance strategy review, spare parts management, and lubrication management; condition-based maintenance with vibration analysis, thermography, and system installation; mechanical maintenance services such as mounting, dismounting, alignment, and balancing; remanufacturing and customization; and training solutions via instructor-led programs, e-learning, and webinars. AB SKF operates through two main segments, Industrial and Automotive, serving diverse industries including aerospace, agriculture, automotive, construction, food and beverage, general machinery, machine tools, marine, material handling, metals, mining, mineral processing, ocean energy, pulp and paper, railways, and wind energy, with customers spanning original equipment manufacturers, end users, and aftermarket distributors worldwide across more than 130 countries. Founded in 1907 and headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, the company employs approximately 38,700 people and maintains manufacturing facilities and distributor networks globally. Recent developments include the August 2024 acquisition of John Sample Group's Lubrication and Flow Management businesses to strengthen its lubrication management offerings; plans announced in September 2025 to increase its stake in SKF India from 45.85% to 52.58% via an inter-se transfer of shares from promoter group entities, effective on or after October 1, 2025; SKF India's November 2025 localization milestone with new bearing manufacturing facilities in Ahmedabad, Pune, and Nilai, alongside a planned ₹800-950 crore investment by 2030 including a new Pune facility in 2028 to expand capacity, integrate advanced technologies like AI-enabled inspection and predictive maintenance, and advance sustainability; a March 2025 updated brand launch to enhance stakeholder value; securing €430 million financing from the European Investment Bank in 2024 for research and development focused on high-growth segments and green transition technologies; and ongoing green bond initiatives financing 220 projects totaling €700 million by end-2024, emphasizing investments in green products, processes, and cleantech R&D.