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The eBearing News
October 20, 2004
Minebea Becomes Primary
Bearing Supplier for Airbus A380
copyright © 2004 eBearing Inc.
Minebea Co. Ltd. (Japan) has successfully positioned itself to be the largest supplier of bearings
for the new Airbus A380 jet aircraft, due to begin deliveries in mid-2006.
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Airbus A380
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The flagship of an entirely new generation of airliners, A380 will debut as the world's largest
jetliner, with two full levels of seating, each with two aisleways. In its standard configuration,
an A380 will carry 550 passengers. In freight configuration, the A380 will have three full-length
floors. Airbus promises 20% lower operating costs than a Boeing 747 and 15% greater range.
The company said it has received over 150 orders for the aircraft.
In late August, Minebea revealed it had won rod-end bearing contracts for the A380 which in themselves
require Minebea to invest $6.4 million in additional aerospace rod end manufacturing capacity.
Now Minebea has announced more than 100 type qualifications -- with more pending -- which will
result in the company supplying at least 850 bearings per aircraft.
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Minebea applications on Airbus A380
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Minebea's products are found, as shown in the drawing, in virtually all of the mechanical subsystems
on the A380, from the actuators that control the flaps and slats to the fans that cool the cabin.
The company provides rod end and spherical bearings, miniature and instrument bearings, and large ball
and cylindrical roller bearings for critical aircraft systems such as the engines, landing gear, power
drive units, gearboxes, cooling fans, cargo systems and door actuators.
The Minebea bearing divisions supplying the A380 include New Hampshire Ball Bearings, NMB Minebea UK Ltd.,
and the Karuizawa Manufacturing Unit in Japan.
Production of the first A380s began in late 2002, and the first is scheduled for delivery in
March 2006. While components are manufactured by suppliers worldwide, they are shipped by land,
sea and air to where final assembly takes place
in Toulouse, France. The fourth A380 is just now being completed in Toulousse. Interiors will
be fitted in Hamburg, Germany.
The A380 program involves a number of other bearing manufacturers beyond Minebea.
FAG (a division of INA Holding, Germany) won the contract to supply Rolls-Royce with bearings for its
next-generation Trent 900 jet engine. The Trent 900 is specifically designed for the Airbus A380. The
bearings will be supplied by FAG's Barden division from the UK, part of its Aircraft and Super
Precision bearing operation.
• article: FAG will supply next-generation Rolls-Royce jet engine bearings
SKF has also revealed its Aero and Steel Division has significant orders in had for metallic rods used in
the belly fairing of the A380, and that it is supplying as yet unspecified bearings for the aircraft.
Airbus S.A.S. is an EADS joint company with BAE Systems.
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printer-friendly version
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- by Bruce A. Carr
from individual research,
tips and commercial sources.
Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.
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eBearing.com ... for everything that moves™
Entire contents Copyright 1999-2008, eBearing Inc. All rights reserved.
eBearing.com and "... for everything that moves" are registered
trademarks of eBearing Inc.
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eBearing.com ... for everything that moves™
Entire contents Copyright © 1999-2008, eBearing Inc. All rights reserved.
eBearing.com and "... for everything that moves" are registered trademarks of eBearing Inc.
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