SKF is investing SEK 400 million in expanding and modernizing its manufacturing facility in Airasca, Italy. The investment will bring the manufacturing of super-precision bearings (SuPBs) for industrial applications into the Group’s largest manufacturing site in Italy, through a significant new-build expansion.  

As part of the investment, fully automated manufacturing channels for the production of SuPBs will be installed in Airasca. The first of these is expected to be operational during 2022.

The investments in automated manufacturing processes will enable the consolidation of the Group’s existing manufacturing sites in Northern Italy, impacting two other factories.

The factory in Pianezza, currently manufacturing super-precision bearings, will be consolidated into Airasca.  

The factory in Villar Perosa, which currently manufactures a range of products, will continue to focus on bearings for the railway and aerospace industries, with production of super-precision bearings transferred to Airasca.

Kent Viitanen, President, Bearing Operations, says: “This investment will make our customer offering within super-precision bearings one of the strongest on the market. Through automated manufacturing and quality control processes, we will greatly improve both the flexibility of our offer and performance of our products.”