GGB (company)
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary of EnPro Industries[1] |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Headquarters | , |
Number of locations | 8 manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Germany, France, Brazil, Slovakia and China |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Metal-polymer, solid polymer, filament-wound and metallic plain bearings; bushing blocks; bearing housings |
Number of employees | 1,100 |
| Website | www.ggbearings.com www.enproindustries.com |
GGB, formerly Glacier Garlock Bearings, then GGB Bearing Technology manufactures self-lubricating and prelubricated plain bearings for various industries and applications. It has production facilities in the U.S., Germany, France, Slovakia, Brazil and China. The company is a subsidiary of EnPro Industries. The company manufactures metal-polymer bearings, engineered plastics bearings, fiber reinforced composite bushings, metal and bimetal bearings, bushing blocks & thrust plates and bearing assemblies.[3]
History
GGB Bearing Technology was formed in 1976 as a joint venture between Garlock Inc., which was established after Olin J. Garlock invented a system for sealing piston rods in industrial steam engines in Palmyra, N.Y. in 1886 [4] or 1887[5], and Glacier Antifriction Metal Company, which had been founded in 1899.[4] Garlock had been the US distributor for Glacier's bearings from 1958.
Glacier developed the industry's first metal-polymer bearing with bronze and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) lining; these DU self-lubricating bushes, launched in 1956, are still being manufactured, specified and used today, and its DX marginally-lubricated bearings, introduced in 1965, are still specified and used for applications where a thin film of lubricant is required.[6]
In 2001 B.F. Goodrich's engineered industrial products division bought Glacier Garlock Bearings.[7] In 2002 this division was spun off as EnPro Industries, Inc.
In 2004 Glacier Garlock Bearings changed its name to GGB Bearing Technology.[8]
In 2012 its DU bearings were used in the sampling drill spindle on NASA's Curiosity Rover on Mars.[9]
Industries
The company's bearings are used by the automotive,[10] aerospace, agriculture, construction, medical,[11] fluid power,[12] compressor, off-highway,[13] recreational equipment, renewable energy,[14] oil & gas, and primary metals production industries.
Present day operations
GGB plain bearings are found in a variety of applications worldwide. The DX bearing is used in the Lokomat Pro, a functional robotics system used to improve mobility in individuals following neurological diseases and injuries.[15] Additionally, GGB products can be found in the Gateshead Millennium Bridge (GGB-DB monometal maintenance free bearing), the miter gates of the Panama Canal (GGB-DB cast bronze hemispherical bearing), and the Xiangjiaba Hydropower Plant (HPM and HPF fiber reinforced composite bearings).
References
- ^ "Official 2011 Enpro and GGB Annual Sales Figures".
- ^ https://www.linkedin.com/company/ggb
- ^ "Official 2014 Enpro and GGB Annual Sales Figures". Securities and Exchange Commission.
- ^ a b https://www.ggbearings.com/en/company/history-bearing-manufacturer
- ^ "A Brief History of Palmyra".
- ^ Austin-Morgan, Tom. "What to Wear?". Eureka. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ^ "BF Goodrich Garlock Division Acquires Glacier Industrial Bearings from Dana Corporation". EBearing News. May 2001. Archived from the original on 5 November 2002.
- ^ "New Bearing Facility in Slovakia Marks EnPro's Third New Facility Opening in Three Months". The Auto Channel. November 2004.
- ^ "Bearings from EnPro's GGB Unit Go to Mars". Reuters. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ^ "Bearing All" (PDF). Engine Technology Today. March 2007.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Plain Bearings Shake a Leg". Machine Design. January 2008. Archived from the original on 26 November 2010. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
- ^ "Spherical Bearings Provided for Son La" (PDF). Hydropower & Dams. 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Bearings Go a Step Beyond". OEM Off Highway. February 2007.
- ^ "GGB's HPMB Bearings Approved for use in Hydropower Turbines". Reuters. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ^ "Bearing Tips". Retrieved 31 March 2016.