Ball Screws

Japan's first domestically produced ball bearing came off an NSK production line in 1916 — before that, the country's fledgling industry imported every bearing it needed. The company that started that line is still at it: NSK (Nippon Seiko Kabushiki Kaisha) is today one of the world's largest bearing makers, and its products quietly spin inside everything from electric vehicle motors to wind turbines and machine tools. NSK's engineering edge is precision at scale: its bearings hold tolerances measured in microns, its ball screws convert rotary motion into linear movement for CNC machines and semiconductor equipment, and its electric power steering systems are fitted to tens of millions of vehicles a year. The company also supplies wheel bearings and hub units to nearly every major automaker. Based in Tokyo with about 30,000 employees and annual sales near ¥830 billion, NSK competes head-to-head with SKF and Schaeffler worldwide. For buyers, its practical strength is breadth: one qualified supplier covering bearings, ball screws, and steering components simplifies audits and shortens the supply chain.