The rapid development of Taiwan’s rolling bearing industry

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According to Ruijing Electromechanical, until the late 1970s, Taiwan almost had no independent rolling bearing industry of its own; there were only a few trading companies that dealt in imported bearings as well as a small number of repair shops. It was not until the 1980s that Taiwan’s rolling bearing industry began to develop significantly. The rolling bearing industry in Taiwan experienced rapid growth from 1985 to 1989. The number of manufacturers increased from 16 in 1980 to 32 in 1990 (including FSR Co., Ltd., which produces Y-type bearings and mounted bearings). The output value of finished rolling bearings rose from NT$1,156,410,000 in 1985 to NT$3,293,000,000. During this period, the average annual growth rate of Taiwan’s rolling bearing industry was 30.42%. Taiwanese rolling bearing factories are generally small in scale. According to incomplete statistics, Dongpei Corporation is the only company with paid-in capital exceeding NT$300 million ； There are 4 companies with assets ranging from 800 million to 3 billion New Taiwan Dollars ； There are 8 with prices ranging from 25 million to 80 million New Taiwan Dollars ； Those with less than 25 million New Taiwan Dollars have a total of 3,228 employees. Among them, there are about 4 to 5 relatively large rolling bearing manufacturers, namely Dongpei Industrial Co., Ltd., a joint venture with Japan’s NTN Corporation; Chien Yue Co., Ltd., a joint venture with Japan’s Nachi-Fujikoshi Corporation; as well as Sam Yun Industrial Co., Ltd., Chung Hwa Da Tong, Won-Yin Precision Industrial Co., Ltd., and Tai-Wei Industrial Co., Ltd. The largest is Dongpei Industrial Company, with a capital of over 400 million New Taiwan dollars, more than 1,000 employees, and an annual production volume of 24 million sets (as of 1989). In the 1990s, the company made significant efforts to expand its factory in Zhuli; a large volume of bearing products were gradually transferred there. Dongpei Company’s factory in Taoyuan mainly produces miniature bearings, bearings with housings, and sliding bearings. With a monthly production capacity of 5 million sets, it is the largest bearing manufacturer in Taiwan. Taiwan Jianyue Industrial Co., Ltd. began production in November 1989. In 1990, it produced 6 million bearing sets, generating a output value of 3 billion yen. By 1993, its production volume had increased to 15 million sets. The company mainly produces ball bearings and their components; its economic strength ranks second only to Dongbei Industrial Co., Ltd. Taiwan China Daido Bearing Industrial Co., Ltd. is a joint venture between Japan’s Daido Metal Industrial Co., Ltd. and Taiwanese partners; it primarily manufactures automotive bearings for export to North America. By the end of 1987, its production of automotive bearings reached 2.4 million units, with exports accounting for 20% of total sales. Tai Wei Industrial Co., Ltd. was founded in June 1983. The joint venture was established with NTN investing 20%, and GKN and RocSpicer investing 80%. It is mainly engaged in the production and sales of constant velocity joint bearings. Taiwan FSQ Co., Ltd. was established as a joint venture between SKF and Taipei Liangyou Enterprise Co., Ltd. The company was established in 1988 and mainly produces seated bearings and Y-type bearings. Although the Taiwan rolling bearing industry has a small workforce, its labor productivity is high. Article URL: http://www.nskfag.org/news/201011_32282.html