Counterfeit bearings pose a 'genuine threat' to safety

World Bearing Association launches campaign on hazards from fake industrial products

The World Bearing Association (WBA) has launched an awareness campaign to inform about potential safety hazards arising from counterfeit bearings. 

Bearing manufacturer Schaeffler Group said that while counterfeiting had risen across the world, the focus of reports had been on consumer goods such as CDs, DVDs and designer clothes. “A far greater risk lies in industrial counterfeiting of items such as tyres, seals and bearings, many of which are safety-critical products.”

Shaeffler, the UK division of which is based in the West Midlands and includes the well-known bearings brands INA and FAG, said it had been successfully fighting against counterfeiting for “many years”.

“We are seeking close contact with the public authorities and we are cooperating closely with associations and other industrial companies in order to draw public attention to this issue time and time again,” said Dr Juergen Geissinger, president and chief executive of Schaeffler Group.

“In doing so, we strictly adhere to a consistent zero-tolerance strategy. This means we examine and pursue each and every case, also seemingly petty offences, worldwide.”

The WBA anti-counterfeiting campaign will employ emails, website banners, media and a dedicated website to get the message across. At the website – www.stopfakebearings.com – interested consumers can learn more about the threats posed by counterfeiting. 

As well as posing a safety hazard, counterfeiting violates intellectual property such as patents. Because counterfeits look like and are marketed as genuine products, it normally takes a trained expert to identify them.