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Since its earliest days in West Trenton, New Jersey, the
company has been at the forefront of bearing technology. Roller
Bearing Company of America, founded in 1919, manufactured
a variety of bearing products. In 1941, Roller Bearing Company
became the sole source supplier for the landing gear bearings
on military aircraft manufactured by Ford Motor Company. The
RBC facility in West Trenton continues today to be a major
supplier of helicopter main and tail rotor flight control bearings
to, among others, the U.S. Government.
In 1990, RBC acquired Industrial Tectonics Bearings (ITB).
Located in Rancho Dominguez, California, the division was
founded in 1955. ITB manufactures a complete line of thin
section ball bearings with capabilities up to 24 inches outside
diameter. Typical aerospace applications include helicopter
swashplate bearings and electro-optical targeting pods.
Additionally, ITB is RBC’s main facility for the production of
52100 cad plated, CRES 440C, and zinc nickel plate airframe
control ball bearings. RBC has become the number one
producer worldwide of airframe control product, and has
virtually every series and size Mil-Spec approvals.
Transport Dynamics (TDC), founded in 1955, was acquired
in 1992. Also located in southern California, TDC is one of RBC’s
main producers of plain bearings, manufacturing journal
bearings (bushings), spherical plain, and rod end product. Plain
bearings at TDC are constructed in metal-to-metal and as lined,
self-lubricating product. Transport Dynamics offers over 30
different liner systems depending upon the loading, wear, and
temperature conditions in the application (including the
patented Fibriloid® and Fiberglide® liner technology). TDC
manufactures plain bearing product in both conventional
swaged configurations and as load slot entry bearings
(Messerschmidt design). Transport Dynamics was actually the
inventor of the lined spherical bearing, with the first application
developed in 1957 for the Chevrolet Corvette suspension joint.
Boeing adopted this new bearing design and soon it was used
throughout the 727 model aircraft. TDC actually licensed this
technology to all their competitors back in the 1960s.
Heim® Bearings, Fairfield, Connecticut, joined the RBC
family in 1993. Founded by Louis Heim® in 1942, the Heim®
name has been known and respected for designing the first
integral rod end bearing, specifically the Unibal® spherical
bearing rod end. This bearing was originally designed to solve
aircraft delivery delays due to critical shortages in rod ends and
self-aligning bearings during the war effort. Heim® Bearings
Company is also well known for inventing centerless grinding
and for inventing the swaging process used in the manufacture
of spherical plain bearings. In addition to rod end and spherical bearings, Heim® Bearings Company manufactures specialized
radial ball bearings, such as a cobalt race hybrid bearing with
silicon nitride balls for a hot bleed air valve application in
aircraft auxiliary power units. Heim® Bearings Company is also
the world’s largest provider of aerospace ball bearing rod ends,
including manufacture with the corrosion-resistant AeroCres®
material. Ball bearing rod ends can be found throughout aircraft
in positioning and linkage assemblies, as well as on swaged
tubes throughout the airframe.
In 2000, RBC acquired Schaublin SA based in Delémont,
Switzerland. As a result, RBC added Schaublin’s metric rod ends
and metric spherical bearings to the family of global RBC
products, and a base with which to service the European
market. Within this 140,000 sq. ft. facility, RBC has established
the company’s European Distribution Center. In addition,
Schaublin was licensed by Heim® Bearings to market Unibal®
rod ends back in the 1950s. RBC also acquired what is now
called RBC France — a sales, engineering, marketing, and
distribution arm for Schaublin product, located in Les Ulis,
France.
In December, 2003, RBC acquired the business of the former
Torrington “Standard” Plant — a long-established leader in
airframe products. This facility, referred to as RBC Aircraft
Products, Inc. (API) was founded in 1866. The Torrington
name is synonymous with quality engineering and precision –
and complements the RBC portfolio of aerospace product
offerings. At the API plant, RBC produces aircraft needle
track roller bearings, cam followers, radial ball bearings, and
specialized series of airframe control ball bearings.
RBC has made an additional aerospace business acquisition
in each of the years 2004, 2005, and 2006; acquiring U.S.
Bearing, Chatsworth, California; Southwest Products Inc.,
Baldwin Park, California; and Allpower Manufacturing, Santa
Fe Springs, California, respectively. U.S. Bearing and Southwest
Products manufacture plain bearings, as does Heim® Bearings,
Transport Dynamics, and Schaublin. Added are some specialty
design capabilities and self-lubricating liner systems, as well as
additional production capacities. Allpower Manufacturing, a
Boeing and Airbus approved supplier, produces a full line of
precision bushings, spacers, sleeves, and specialty machined
parts servicing the aerospace industry. This is an added product
line to the already broadest line of aerospace bearings offered
by RBC.
In 2008, RBC acquired the assets of A.I.D. Company,
Clayton, Georgia, a manufacturer of precision aerospace swaged
tubes and push-pull rods. A.I.D. was founded in 1948 to
manufacture aircraft ignition systems. Today, the company
produces a wide variety of swaged tubes, flash welded pushpull
rods, and control rods for commercial and military
applications.
Aerospace Segments Served
Aerospace segments served by RBC include commercial and
military alike, fixed and rotary wing. RBC serves the world’s
major airframers (large transport, regional, and general
aviation), engines and accessories, defense (land and marine
vehicles, missile and bomb, optical targeting), space (vehicles
and engine), major subsystem providers (landing gear, electrical
generation, etc.), and smaller subsystem and component
applications (primary and secondary flight control actuation,
swaged tube bearing, and structural applications, etc.)
RBC’s aerospace operations count among their customers a
long list of prestigious names, including Airbus, Boeing,
Lockheed Martin, SAAB, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems,
Bombardier, Embraer Aircraft, Spirit Aerosystems, NASA, Bell
Helicopter, Sikorsky, Boeing Mesa and Rotocrafts, Rolls-Royce,
GE Aircraft Engines, Snecma, Pratt & Whitney, Honeywell, ASCO,
Goodrich Aerospace, Moog, Smiths Aerospace, Parker
Aerospace, Messier-Dowty, Raytheon, Primus University Swage,
LeFiell, and Tyee.
The RBC aerospace divisions are well versed in the many
bearing materials, from the standard chrome 52100, to the
CRES 440C and 15-5/17-4 stainless product, to the processing
of exotic materials like ALTEMP® A286*, Stellite®**, titanium,
Inconel®***, beryllium copper, Pyrowear®, and AeroCres®.
Combined revenue of the RBC aircraft divisions, is
approximately 75% aerospace. The predominant non-aerospace
markets include high-end industrial applications requiring the
same stringent tolerances and high-quality precision product.
Quality Statement
All of RBC’s aerospace bearings divisions have a formal,
documented, and aerospace-approved quality program/system in
place. The company is approved to many OEM quality systems,
including Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney, GE Aircraft
Engines, Boeing Commercial Aircraft, Boeing Helicopter, Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Snecma, Goodrich, BAE
Systems, and the U.S. Government, among others. RBC is on a
self-release program with many of these companies.
For example, Industrial Tectonic Bearings (ITB), Rancho
Dominguez, California, was promoted to Gold Level Preferred
Supplier status at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control,
Orlando, Florida. At this point, RBC is the only Gold bearing
supplier to the Lockheed organization. In a statement given by a
senior manager for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control,
“…the ITB facility is key in helping us create a world-class
supply base.” To assess ITB’s supplier status, Lockheed Martin
performed an on-site business system review, the team
concluding that RBC demonstrated a dedication to continuous
improvement and process improvement. The Gold status allows
ITB to perform its own final inspection of hardware, facilitating a
“dock-to-stock” receipt at Lockheed Martin’s Orlando factory.
All aerospace divisions of RBC are ISO 9001:2000 and
AS9100 certified. Additionally, they are NADCAP accredited inhouse
for non-destructive testing, heat treat, and weld, or are
using NADCAP accredited sourcing. The company is constantly
audited by the many major aerospace customers in the world,
as well as by the FAA. RBC is aware that material, specification,
and/or processing changes are all critical. As such, the company
has a traceability process for its manufacturing locations
including a procedure for preserving the identity and origin of
the bearing and all its components. RBC has the capability to
isolate and recall suspect bearings from use and trace the
cause of failure to a specific manufacturing lot, material
process, or component.
Strategic Plan and Vision
RBC Bearings’ strategic plan and vision is to continue down
the path of profitability and growth — organic growth including
market penetration and the addition of new products and
growth via acquisition to which RBC’s uncompromising track
record of aerospace acquisition attests. RBC has become the
world’s broadest supplier of aerospace bearing product, serving
the industry with spherical, rod end, and journal plain bearings,
ball bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, needle track roller
bearings, cam follower bearings, tapered roller bearings,
airframe control, thin section ball bearings, and ball bearing rod
ends. RBC is focused on the aerospace industry and intends to
continually complement its broad offering with new products,
new technologies, and acquisitions.
RBC has a long tradition of engineering design excellence
and innovation in creating solutions to problems, as our patents
reflect. The company also strives to stay on the forefront of
bearing material, plating, and design technology. Investing in
qualified personnel, capital equipment, material and bearing
testing is paramount. RBC also strives to continually refine its
manufacturing processes, both to maintain the reputation for
quality product and long life, and to remain the industry’s cost
leader.
A very important part of our strategic vision is to
develop/expand on a current business partnership with targeted
customers. RBC’s goals, objectives, and investments support the
aerospace market, while many companies are choosing to exit
the industry. RBC believes that its objectives are soundly aligned
with the needs of the aerospace industry, both short and long
term. All of us at RBC look forward to supplying more of our
aircraft offerings through all the RBC aerospace divisions
participating in your business.
Warranty
RBC’s sole warranty is against defects in materials or
workmanship. The foregoing warranty is exclusive, and in lieu of
all other warranties (whether written, oral or implied) including,
but not limited to, the warranty of merchantability, and the
warranty of fitness for a particular purpose. A no charge
replacement will be made on any product manufactured by
RBC, which upon examination by RBC, appears to be defective,
provided it is returned to RBC, transportation prepaid, within
ninety (90) days of date of sale, and further provided it has been
properly installed or mounted and lubricated and not subject to
abuse.
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