In 2010, GRW relocated its factory within Germany, retooled, refined its processes, and through AST is now regularly delivering high precision bearings in less than six weeks from order.  This is at a time when ten weeks seem standard for many other factories and with others going out 180 days or more. GRW offers short development times and modern production facilities to fulfill all requirements in precision and function. Together with AST Bearings' value-added services and cutting edge bearing technology, you receive a guaranteed economical solution in design and application.

GRW specializes in the manufacturing of miniature deep groove ball bearings made from through hardened chrome and stainless steel with standardized dimensions and variations.  Some variations are separable angular contact, spindle or duplex and hybrid ball bearings. 

Furthermore, GRW is the only bearing manufacturer in the world to manufacture bearings out of SV30 stainless steel (and AST Bearings is GRW's largest national stocking distributor in the United States for SV30).  This innovative material dramatically improves the running characteristic of the miniature bearing.  It uses the constituent's nitrogen, carbon, chrome, and molybdenum in a superior type of stainless steel alloy composition.  SV30 is distinguished by its improved alternating bending strength, elongation at rupture, high temperature resistance, toughness and chemical resistance.  The SV30 material offers considerable advantages for the miniature ball bearing such as:

• Higher resistance to corrosion
• Longer life duration
• Better running behavior at high temperatures, in contaminative environments, with reduced lubrication or dry running

Additionally, beyond the DIN and ISO standards GRW Bearings has defined their own standards with higher requirements. That means that you receive ball bearings, which have been developed and manufactured to correspond to your exact specifications.

GRW Bearings' results of more than 50 years experience guarantees the precision and finish of their miniature ball bearings that can only be seen with the aid of a magnifying glass. However these features are even more apparent when the bearings are fitted into specialized applications such as, instruments in the microelectronics, aviation and aerospace engineering, instrument and dental fields because of their accuracy, reliability and smooth performance.

GRW Bearings full line product catalog is a 75-page document represents over 2,000,000,000 (yes, that is two-billion) different variations of precision ball bearing products.  The primary product categories for GRW are:

• Deep Groove Ball Bearings
• Spindle Ball Bearings
• Axial Deep Groove Ball Bearings
• Special Ball Bearings
• Rollers
• Bearing Units

Please click here for more catalog information and/or to download a copy of the GRW Bearings Product Catalog.

GRW Bearings produces 20 million miniature and small ball bearings a year with a bore sizes ranging from 1 mm to 25 mm and an outer diameter of 3 mm to 40 mm. These bearings offer the highest levels of precision and functionality that is needed in a confined space. These bearings are mass-produced for standard ranges in electric motors, ventilators and office machinery. GRW Bearings' product lines offer high-precision solutions without the concerns of quality and craftsmanship.

Below are a few examples of GRW bearing applications that AST has provided:

• Medical Industry
  • Surgical Equipment
  • Blood Pumps
  • Dental Turbines

• Aeronautical and Space Industry
  • Measurement and Transport Systems

• Food Industry
  • Stirrers

• Chemical Industry
  • Flow Meters
  • Application in Hostile Environments

• Mechanical Engineering
  • Spindle Bearings for High-Speed Applications
  • Turbo Chargers
  • High Temperature Coating Units
  • Vacuum Pumps

Together, AST Bearings and GRW Bearings' engineers and technicians will also develop individual system solutions, such as complete ready to fit assembly units. Short development periods and short lead times due to modern production methods means GRW Bearings and AST Bearings are able to solve a wide variety of problems supplying units to suit every application.

Contact us today to learn how GRW and AST can provide you unique bearing solutions. We are the bearing experts.