Railway Bearings

NBC has produced Axle Boxes for the railways since 1952. Over a million NBC bearings and axle boxes are in service with the Indian Railways. The development of completely indigenized axle boxes and bearings for the high speed Rajdhani Locomotive are the highlights of the design capabilities at NBC.

Cylindrical roller bearings are used mainly in locomotives (Diesel or Electric) for wheel application and traction motor application. These bearings are used with axle box housing and end fittings.

Traction motors are a common means of powering a train, whether the energy required is carried on-board the train in the form of a diesel engine and its fuel or obtained from outside the train by connection with an external power supply carried by an overhead line

The manufacturing of spherical roller bearings was started in the year 1975 for fitment to broad gauge and meter gauge passenger coaches with designs, technology, machines and equipment procured from the collaborators.

Cartridge taper roller bearings with technology from AmstedRail, USA, have the outstanding property of requiring no field lubrication. They are mainly used in various wagons like BOXN, BCN, BTPN, etc. designed by the Indian Railways. For fitment to these Wagons designed by the RDSO, NBC is the only manufacturer in India to indigenize these bearings under collaboration with BRENCO the largest manufacturer of these bearings in the world.

Traction motor suspension units (MSU) have been extensively used in locomotives to connect between frame‐mounted traction motors on and the wheels. Single row Tapered Roller Bearings are used as suspension bearings. These bearings are used with suspension tube housing and end fittings. For some special applications, cylindrical roller bearings are also used as suspension bearings (ABB Locomotive).

• Increases reliability
• Reduces radial clearance and maintenance costs
• Low starting torque
• Grease lubrication (no oil levels to maintain)

NBC has successfully developed Insulated Traction Motor bearings. First time in history of Indian Railways, NBC make indigenous insulated bearings were fitted in both electric & diesel locomotive applications.

• Improves bearing life in electrical current passage
• Optimized coating with plasma spray process
• High insulation resistance
• High dimensional stability after coating
• Easy to mount

• Higher operational reliability
• Increased machine uptime
• Reduced overall operating costs
• Improves lubricant life
• Insulation over wide range of operating temperature