Gamet wins Taiwan lathe bearing business

Manufacturing large capacity, heavy duty lathes primarily for North America and Japan, it was faced with an unacceptable lead time of up to two years from its existing bearing supplier. King Kong chairman Richard Chen took the obvious decision and looked for an alternative supplier. Initially he entered into negotiations with 600 Group company Gamet Bearings because it could supply large super high precision taper roller bearings (up to to 506mm ID) in a lead time of only weeks. The bearings were required for the Kingston HK & HG range of hollow spindle oil country lathes. Weighing up to 9150Kg (20,172lb), the lathes have spindle bores of 305-370mm (12 – 14.5”). The large bore spindle bearings needed a capability to handle a 40,000lb thrust load and 60,000lb radial load. Prompt delivery into King Kong was vital in order that the company could fill its own order commitments. Gamet was able to guarantee short lead times and on-schedule delivery. In addition to ensuring much more acceptable lead times for the bearings, Gamet was able to improve on bearing performance significantly by developing four new spindle bearings for these HK and HG lathe models, giving better rotational accuracy and superior repeatability while also ensuring interchangeability with existing Timken/NSK bearings.