Precision ball bearings and thin-section bearings for demanding industrial applications, manufactured at the Swiss site in Bulle.
WIB – Wälzlager Industriewerke Bulle AG / WIB SA
Bulle (Champ-Barby 61) · SwitzerlandNew on Amplifa
About WIB
WIB – Wälzlager Industriewerke Bulle AG / WIB SA is a Swiss manufacturer of miniature and small precision ball bearings, founded in 1961 and headquartered in Bulle. The company produces single-row deep groove ball bearings, double-row angular contact bearings, self-aligning ball bearings, single- and double-row track rollers, and thin-section bearings of the 618xx and 619xx series, with bore diameters from 3 mm and outer diameters up to 47 mm. The value chain includes turning, grinding in the micrometer range, heat treatment, surface treatments such as ARMOLoy ATC, DURALLOY and BALINIT C, as well as final assembly in a Class 100 cleanroom. Materials used include chrome steel 100Cr6, stainless steel X105 CrMo17 (440C), ceramic balls for hybrid bearings, and polymers such as PEEK and VITON for cages and seals. Key customer groups include textile machinery, aerospace, robotics, medical technology, toolmaking, electric motors and packaging technology. Production uses Industry 4.0 technologies, networked measuring machines and grinding machines, enabling 24-hour operation; deliveries are made worldwide.
- Site
- Bulle
- Processes
- Turning (bearing manufacturing), Grinding (grinding shop, including bore grinding), Final bearing assembly (Class 100 cleanroom for assembly hall), Heat treatment (hardening, tempering/thermal stabilization up to 150 °C, proprietary processes), Surface treatment of contact surfaces: ARMOLoy ATC (1100 HV / 72 HRC, a few µm), Surface treatment DURALLOY Matt DSV (1200–1400 HV / 74 HRC, 2–20 µm), Surface treatment BALINIT C (1000 HV / 70 HRC, 1–4 µm), Manufacture of sub-assemblies (bearing integration into sub-assemblies)
- Materials
- Chrome steel 100Cr6, Stainless steel X105 CrMo17 (440C), SP Super Corrosion Resistance (proprietary steel/heat treatment combination), Ceramic (ceramic balls, approx. 80 HRC), Polymers (thin-section bearings with stainless steel, ceramic and polymers), PEEK (cage material PEH/PEEK), VITON (seal material), SP Super Corrosion Resistance
- Certificates
- ISO 9001, ISO 14001
- Founded
- 1961
- Industries
- Textile machinery, Aerospace, Robotics and automation, Medical technology, Toolmaking, Electric motors
- 01
Application engineering and design
- 02
Prototyping
- 03
Turning
- 04
Grinding (micrometer range)
- 05
Heat treatment
- 06
Surface treatment
- 07
Assembly (Class 100 cleanroom)
- 08
Sub-assemblies
- 09
Testing and quality control
Materials and Processes
Chrome steel 100Cr6
Standard material for the performance bearings with ring hardness of 60–64 HRC after heat treatment, thermally stabilized up to 150 °C.
Stainless steel X105 CrMo17 (440C)
For ultra-light thin-section bearings and special bearings with high corrosion resistance.
SP Super Corrosion Resistance
Proprietary combination of steel and heat treatment for extreme corrosion exposure, e.g. salt water applications.
Ceramic (ceramic balls, approx. 80 HRC)
For hybrid bearings with increased wear and corrosion resistance, higher speeds, and thermal and electrical insulation.
PEEK (cage material)
Polymer foam material for cages in high-performance bearings.
VITON (seal material)
Seal material for bearings with elevated operating temperatures.
Site
Bulle
CHHeadquarters and production: grinding shop, heat treatment, surface treatment, assembly in a Class 100 cleanroom
- Part weight / size
- Bore from 3 mm, outer diameter up to 47 mm
- Materials
- 100Cr6, X105 CrMo17 (440C), ceramic, PEEK, VITON
- Grinding machines (new machine fleet 2015)
- Fully automatic line for self-aligning ball bearings (developed in-house, 2014)
- Fully autonomous bore grinding measuring machine (developed in-house, prototype 2018)
- Class 100 cleanroom for assembly
- Tooling and equipment for textile machinery bearings
Bearing and Component Portfolio
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turning (bearing manufacturing)Machining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Grinding (grinding shop, including bore grinding)Machining | Micrometer range (working in micrometer increments) | – | – | – | – |
| Final bearing assembly (Class 100 cleanroom for assembly hall)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Heat treatment (hardening, tempering/thermal stabilization up to 150 °C, proprietary processes)Heat treatment | – | – | – | – | – |
| Surface treatment of contact surfaces: ARMOLoy ATC (1100 HV / 72 HRC, a few µm)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Surface treatment DURALLOY Matt DSV (1200–1400 HV / 74 HRC, 2–20 µm)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Surface treatment BALINIT C (1000 HV / 70 HRC, 1–4 µm)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacture of sub-assemblies (bearing integration into sub-assemblies)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Engineering/application technology (concept, prototype, production support, R&D department)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Hybrid bearing technology (steel rings with ceramic balls, hardness approx. 80 HRC)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Single-row deep groove ball bearings (bore from 3 mm up to max. outer diameter 47 mm)Joining | – | Outer diameter max. 47 mm | Bore diameter min. 3 mm | – | – |
| Double-row angular contact bearings (bore from 3 mm up to max. outer diameter 47 mm)Joining | – | Outer diameter max. 47 mm | Bore diameter min. 3 mm | – | – |
| Thin-section bearings (618xx and 619xx series)Joining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Self-aligning ball bearings (with/without seals)Joining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Single-row track rollers (cylindrical and crowned running surfaces, special profiles)Joining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Double-row track rollers (cylindrical, crowned, gothic)Joining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Industry-specific probes/textile machinery bearings (yarn guiding systems)Joining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Testing/quality control (measuring machines, automated metrology)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
5 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grinding machines (new machines for the grinding shop, investment CHF 6 million) | – | – | – | 2015 | Bulle, Switzerland |
| Fully autonomous measuring machine for bore grinding (prototype) | WIB (developed in-house) | – | – | 2018 | Bulle, Switzerland |
| Fully automatic line for the production of self-aligning bearings (self-aligning ball bearings) | WIB (developed in-house) | – | – | 2014 | Bulle, Switzerland |
| Class 100 cleanroom for assembly hall | – | 1 | – | 2006 | Bulle, Switzerland |
| Tooling and equipment for manufacturing textile machinery bearings | – | – | – | – | Bulle, Switzerland |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality Assurance
Inspection is performed with automated measuring machines networked with the grinding machines; every operation from turning through grinding to final assembly is subject to its own quality standards. Bearings that do not meet the standards never leave the plant.
| Evidence | Bulle |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | |
| ISO 14001 |
History
- 1961
Founded by the merger of two Swiss industrial bearing factories.
- 1970
Specialization in small diameters (<17 mm), focus on textile and special applications.
- 1987
Expansion to include thin-section bearings (618xx and 619xx series).
- 1989
Acquired by United Precision Industries Ltd. (UK, RHB brand).
- 1990
Acquired by the Japanese NSK Group.
- 1998
Relocation of RHB aircraft landing gear bearing production to Bulle.
- 2003
Acquired by the Canadian group RotoPrecision Inc.
- 2006
Investment in a Class 100 cleanroom for assembly.
- 2014
In-house development of fully automatic lines for self-aligning ball bearings.
- 2015
Investment of CHF 6 million in production facilities including a new grinding shop; establishment of an internal automation team.
- 2018
Prototype of a fully autonomous bore grinding measuring machine.
- 2019
Full 24-hour production capability thanks to networking of measuring machine and grinding machine.
- 2022
Private takeover and private ownership.
- 2023
Establishment of a marketing department.
- 2025
Market expansion and diversification of products and solutions.