How Bearing Remanufacturing Can 
Help Distributors Win More Business
Picture this. A customer calls ahead 
of planned maintenance at their 
manufacturing facility. The shutdown is 
scheduled within the next month or two, 
and they need a replacement large-sized 
spherical roller bearing.
There are two problems: the budget is 
tight, and the deadline is even tighter. 
You approach your usual supplier, but for 
a bearing of this size, lead times are long. 
At the same time, the cost of a brand-new 
component is likely to put the job outside 
of the customer’s budget.
You request quotations and even get 
prices for equivalent alternatives across 
a range of brands, but the numbers still 
don’t work.
You want to secure the order and help 
your customer keep their maintenance 
plans on track, but supplying a brand-new 
bearing is simply not realistic. What else 
can you offer?
If the customer has a suitable used 
bearing available, whether it is the bearing 
being replaced, a previously removed unit 
or an existing spare, it can be assessed 
for remanufacturing. By restoring an 
existing bearing, the customer may 
reduce costs and lead times while using 
fewer raw materials and less energy 
than manufacturing a replacement. 
ACORN guides us through the bearing remanufacturing process, highlighting the benefits 
and why many customers may be considering the option.
Depending on the bearing and the work 
required, remanufacturing can also 
reduce associated carbon emissions by 
up to 90% compared with producing a 
new bearing.
For the distributor, this creates an 
opportunity to retain an order that 
might otherwise be lost, create better 
margin opportunities, strengthen the 
customer relationship and demonstrate 
technical value beyond simply supplying a 
replacement part.
What is bearing remanufacturing?
Remanufacturing is a controlled 
engineering process through 
which a used bearing is inspected, 
restored and tested against defined 
manufacturer requirements. 
Depending on the condition of the 
bearing, the work can range from 
relatively minor refurbishment to 
extensive remanufacturing involving the 
regrinding of functional surfaces and 
replacement of major components.
Minor refurbishment may include 
cleaning, inspection, measurement, 
polishing and the replacement of seals. 
Full remanufacturing can go considerably 
further, with raceways reground and 
rolling elements, cages or bearing rings 
replaced where required.
The correct route can only be established 
once the bearing has been dismantled 
and assessed by the manufacturer. 
The process begins with an initial 
application review which includes 
cleaning and dismantling the bearing, 
inspection and measurement, followed by 
an assessment report and quotation. 
Once the customer has agreed on 
remanufacturing, the refurbishment takes 
place. The precise work depends on the 
bearing design, its condition and the 
manufacturer’s acceptance criteria. Not 
every bearing will require every operation.
The final stage includes reassembly, 
quality checks, preservation and 
packaging, after which the bearing is 
returned to the customer.
How long will a remanufactured 
bearing last?
This may be one of the first questions a 
customer will ask. And a professionally 
remanufactured bearing is not simply 
expected to provide a short-term stopgap. 
Depending on the condition of the 
original bearing and the extent of the 
remanufacturing work, it can be restored 
to provide its full useful life. However, 
this will also depend on the operating 
conditions of the bearing, as the root 
cause of issues must also be addressed 
An example of a bearing roller before and after the remanufacturing process
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