NSK Ltd. (NSK; Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; President and CEO: Toshihiro Uchiyama) works closely with the WBA (World Bearing Association), JBIA (Japan Bearing Industry Association), and authorities around the world to enforce law and order on counterfeiters and eliminate fake bearings. We have cooperated with WBA to develop a new app to combat fake bearings.

Widely respected, NSK has been established for over 100 years and is recognized around the globe for manufacturing high quality and reliable bearing products that are used in many different industries, including automotive. For this reason, NSK has become a target brand for counterfeiters. Dishonorable traders who ply their trade in fake bearings not only put their own businesses at risk - by sourcing and selling inferior quality bearings - but that of innocent end users, who unwittingly buy these products in the belief they are getting "the real thing" at a reduced price. Of course, such bearings have the potential to fail prematurely, even catastrophically, thus presenting an inherent safety risk.

In light of these risks, NSK engages in multifaceted efforts to combat fake bearings. Recent efforts include a new app “ NSK Verify ” that allows customers to assess the authenticity of machine tool bearings by scanning a special 2D barcode found on the box.

As the next step in our efforts to eliminate fake bearings, NSK has collaborated with major bearing companies to develop a new app, “ WBA Bearing Authenticator: WBACheck.  ” This app is capable of assessing bearing authenticity of WBA member companies by scanning a compatible 2D barcode. This makes it easier for customers who use bearings from multiple different companies. Further, if an unregistered bearing is detected, the app will automatically notify NSK. Download the new WBACheck app from the official WBA website.

The challenge of catching counterfeiters is a time-intensive, high-cost exercise. However, NSK continues undeterred in its relentless pursuit of these disingenuous fake bearing operations to ensure that customers worldwide can continue to use NSK products with confidence.