in-motion anniversary edition art - schaeffler group bearings and baltzer special needle bearings...

A SPECIAL ISSUELOOKING BACK OVER

50 YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE UK

OCTOBER 2005GOLDEN JUBILEE EDITION

A STROKE OF ENGINEERING GENIUS BACK IN THE LATE 1940s

LAID THE FOUNDATIONS FOR WHAT IS NOW ONE OF THE WORLD’S

LEADING ENGINEERING BUSINESSES AND WHICH THIS MONTH

(OCTOBER 2005) CELEBRATES THE GOLDEN JUBILEE OF ITS

ESTABLISHMENT IN THE UK.

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KEEPING THE UK ON THEMOVE FOR YEARS

The idea was for a cage to guide needle roller bearings, which up to

that time had a tendency to skew and increase frictional resistance or

lock. The man who had the idea was Dr Georg Schaeffler.

The development of the cage guided needle roller bearing – which is still

in use in its original form today – provided the bedrock for the growth of

the INA organisation, now a member of the Schaeffler Group, which

today employs 58,000 people at over 180 locations throughout the world

and has group sales of over 7 billion euros.

INA – Industriewerk-Nadellager (Needle Bearing Factory) – was set up

just after the second world war by Georg Schaeffler and his brother

Wilhelm, both of whom had a background in the textile industry, and was

initially involved in the production of hand carts, wooden belt buckles

and buttons and spares for agricultural machinery.

However, between 1946 and 1951, INA was given the opportunity to start

the production of a variety of metal parts – including needle rollers and

full complement bearings for US army vehicles – and it was during this

period that Georg Schaeffler developed the idea of the cage guided

needle roller bearing. Working with a team of in-house technicians he

brought the idea to a stage where it was ready for mass production and,

once launched, it became an essential element in many automotive and

industrial plant and machinery designs.

The success of the cage guided needle roller bearing brought about rapid

expansion of the company and on October 26th 1955, the UK business –

50

IN MOTION Golden Jubilee Edition | 2

Dr Georg Schaeffler Dr Wilhelm Schaeffler

INA Needle Bearing Co Ltd - opened the

doors of its original London office for

business. The success of the company led

to a move to the UK’s industrial heartland in

the Midlands in1968 and in 1979 INA invested

in its own office complex in Sutton Coldfield.

INA’s involvement in the automotive industry

expanded over the years from the production

of bearings to the design development and

manufacture of a wide range of engineered

components – especially for the automotive

sector.

In 1966 a new factory, designed to meet

the needs of the UK vehicle manufacturing

industry, was opened at Bynea, Llanelli. Its

success saw expansion of the factory in

1982 and 1991 – and Bynea today remains

a centre of excellence for production of a

wide range of components for the global

automotive industry.

From the original cage guided needle roller

bearing the range has now expanded to a

catalogue of over 40,000 standard products.

However, from the outset, INA’s UK operation

set out to provide its customers with more

than just bearings. The aim has always been

to provide complete engineered solutions

that deliver the best performance, longest

working life and greatest economy. This

approach has resulted in continual

development of the product range and

associated materials and essential lubricants –

and has kept INA ahead of the field in this

highly competitive marketplace.

In 2001 INA acquired FAG, another global

bearing company which also owes its

existence to the genius of a German engineer.

In 1897 Friedrich Fischer developed a ball

grinding machine capable of producing

perfectly round steel balls and laid the

foundation for FAG which today specialises in

ball and roller bearings for industrial and

automotive applications and in high precision

bearings for the aviation, aerospace, paper,

mining and steel industries.

The INA and FAG product ranges fully

complement each other – and INA FAG

now operates in harmony under the

Schaeffler Group banner. Together they

comprise a global engineering organisation

with the capacity to meet virtually any

bearing requirement for any application

and have the genuine capability of keeping

the world in motion.


INA UK HISTORY TIMELINE1955 October 26th - date of incorporation.

1956 Trading began under the name of INA Needle Bearing Company from London office.

1957 INA leased a factory in Dafen, South Wales from the Board of Trade. Needle manufacture commenced with 6 people.

1959 Regional offices opened in Manchester and Birmingham. Sales engineers appointed to cover the main areas of the UK.

1960 London office closed. Regional offices opened in Surbiton, Rossendale, and Boldmere, Birmingham. Office administration established at Dafen

INA Automation began at a small facility in Winson Green, Birmingham

1964 Dafen factory employs staff of 100, at1500m2 facility.

Boldmere office replaced by new office in Coventry Road, Birmingham

1966 Thyssen built factory opened in Bynea, Llanelli by local MP J Griffiths.

1969 Sales Office and Warehouse opens in Maybrook Road, Sutton Coldfield

1970 Company changes name to INA Bearing Company Ltd to reflect expandedrange of bearings including INA products, plus Elges joint bearings, FLT ball bearings and Baltzer special needle bearings from Germany.

1975 Land purchased in Sutton Coldfield for administration and sales offices

1979 New Head Office and Warehouse built in Forge Lane, Sutton Coldfield on 8,500sq metres site.

1986 Assembly extension of 2100m2 and raw materials extension of 1660m2

at Llanelli

1987 Accounts department moves from Llanelli to Sutton Coldfield

1988 Head Office expanded. INA UK wins Ford Q1 Award

1989 Production extension of 6600m2 at Llanelli

1990 Formation of Linear division in Sutton Coldfield

1990 INA UK wins BS5750 part 1 ISO 9001

1991 6600m2 Forging Plant extension added to the factory

1993 INA UK wins Perkins Quality Assured Supplier Award

1994 INA UK wins Investor in People award, Perkins Quality Assured Supplier Award and Rover Group Supplier Award

1995 Diamond Distribution Network set up to cater for smaller accounts to be satisfied from local sources

INA UK wins Perkins Quality Assured Supplier Award

1996 IS014001 awarded to INA

VDA awarded to INA

INA wins Nissan Next 21 Supplier Award and JCB "A" class status

1300m2 forging plant opened at Llanelli

1997 EMAS award to INA

1997 Bynea factory expansion complete.

INA UK wins Black and Decker Supplier of Excellence Award - Bronze

1998 VDA 6.1 and QS9000 awarded to INA

Llanelli factory extension of 2600m2 opened by HRH Duke of York. Total site now 67500m2 - 20860m2 of production.

INA wins Black and Decker Supplier of Excellence Award - Silver

1999 INA UK wins Nissan Supplier Award and Black and Decker Silver Supplier of Excellence Award

2000 INA UK wins Varian Medical Supplies Supplier of the Year Platinum Award and JCB Supplier of the Year Award

Llanelli embarks on Culture Change L>C Programme

2001 INA UK wins Varian Medical Supplies Supplier of the Year Platinum Award and Caterpillar Quality Improvement Award

INA Schaeffler KG takes over FAG Kugelfischer AG

2002 INA UK wins Varian Medical Supplies Supplier of the Year Platinum Award

2003 INA UK wins Varian Medical Systems Supplier of the Year Platinum Award

Llanelli wins People Development Company of the Year Award

Llanelli is a finalist in the CIPD awards

INA UK is a finalist in the National Business Awards

2004 INA Llanelli receives a special Commendation from CIPD

INA Llanelli is a Regional Winner in the National Training Awards

FAG Telford moves to Sutton Coldfield offices

2005 INA Llanelli receives the Best Improvement of a Lead Company Award from Accelerate Wales

INA UK celebrates its Golden Jubilee with a visit from Frau Schaeffler & Dr Geissinger

GO

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From the 1960’s…

…to the present day.

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HIS1985

OUR WORLD

INA actually traces its history back tobefore the second world war and itsoriginal interest was in textiles, primarilyin the form of carpets. The Yemen line, anancient assymetrical oriental patternedcarpet provided relief from thesymmetrical designs being manufacturedat the time, and production continuedapace. However, the war economy soonled to production being expanded intoother product lines including fullcomplement needle roller bearings.

With the advance of the Russian troopsnear the end of the war, production wasmoved west to Schwartzenhammer andabout 300 people moved with themachinery. Such was the organisationalskills of company founders Georg andWilhelm Schaeffler that production wassoon up and running again.

However, at the end of the war restrictionswere placed on what could be producedby German industry and the manufactureof metal parts had to be discontinued.Instead wood became the main rawmaterial and the factory turned out handcarts, wooden rakes, ladders and evenfurniture.

Such was the demand for these productsthat the business needed more space andthe search was on for a suitable locationclose to railway links. Virtually by chancethe Schaeffler brothers arrived in the townof Herzogenaurach – at the time sufferingmass unemployment and desperate forinvestors.

The brothers struck a deal with the townauthorities and the first buildings of whatis now the worldwide headquarters of theSchaeffler Group were erected on landclose to the railway station.

The earliest success at Herzogenaurachwas in the manufacture of wooden beltbuckles – with up to 15000 pieces beingproduced every day – but Georg Schaefflermanaged to obtain permission for theproduction of metal screw dies andreplacement needle roller bearings

Celebrating IN MOTION Golden Jubilee Edition | 4

The History

continued on page 6…

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onubium santet plane gulosus sabur.STORY

1999

The original cage guided needle roller bearing

is still in use today – but INA has not stood

still. The INA catalogue now contains over

25,000 standard products and, following the

acquisition of FAG in 2001 this figure now

stands at 40,000. The combined product

ranges means that customers in virtually any

sector of industry - from mining, construction

and agriculture to rail, medical, paper and

food processing - can now obtain all their

bearing requirements from a single source.

‘‘ ‘‘

OF MOTIONTop Left: Shanghai Bank, Hong KongBelow: London Eye, EnglandBelow Right: Southern African LargeTelescope (SALT), Karoo Desert, SouthAfrica

1998 20051989

2004

Fifty Years of Successful Business in the UK IN MOTION Golden Jubilee Edition | 5

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needed to keep their own machineryoperating. The facility for producingbearings came to the notice of theAmerican forces and the company wasinvited to produce bearings for US armyvehicles. It was this breakthrough that laidthe foundations for the INA of today.

Georg Schaeffler had been thinking aboutways to overcome the disadvantages of fullcomplement needle roller bearings. Inbearing arrangements at the time therolling elements had a tendency to skewand thus increase frictional resistance andthey also locked easily where clearanceswere tight.

His solution was to guide the needlesaxially in a cage, and with his team oftechnicians, he manufactured his firstprototype cage in a single afternoon. Atest bench was improvised for ademonstration and it was an immediatesuccess. The sound alone, whencompared with a full complement rollingbearing, was proof of the veracity of thecage principal.

Finding the solution was, however, onlythe start. The next step was to persuadepotential customers to adopt the new typeof bearing. Armed with INA’s firstmarketing tool – a case of samples – Georgand Wilhelm set off on a round of visits topotential customers and through theirown energy and enthusiasm theyconvinced them to try the new product.

The automotive industry was the firsttarget and, one by one, vehiclemanufacturers were persuaded of theadvantages of the cage guided needleroller bearing. Mercedes Benz and AdlerMotorcycles were amongst the firstconverts.

The INA rolling bearing business hadbegun and the growing business became apart of what is known as the“Wirtschaftswunder” (economic miracle)in post-war Germany.

The company’s early development was


BUI

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1966

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The first office in the UK was opened in Swiss

Cottage, London in 1955. Thirteen years later

the operation moved to the industrial

heartlands in the Midlands and in 1979

transferred to its own purpose built complex in

Sutton Coldfield. The first factory in Wales

opened in 1957. In 1966 the new factory at

Bynea, Llanelli came on stream with a total area

of 30,000 m2 including 6,600 m2 for

production. The production areas were

extended by 3,700 m2 in 1986 and by a further

6,600 m2 in 1989. In 1996 the 1300m2 forging

plant was opened.

‘‘

LDING‘‘

Fifty Years of Successful Business in the UK IN MOTION Golden Jubilee Edition | 7

RIGHT MOVES

2005

2001

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closely linked with the growth of theautomobile industry, but it was quicklyappreciated that it also needed to berepresented in other sectors and, with nosize limit on cage guided needle rollerbearings, the product was soon beingused across a vast range of applicationsand became an essential component inthe industrial plant and machinery sectoras well as in hoists, agricultural machineryand conveyor equipment.

The growing demand for the product sawthe production area at Herzogenaurachexpand and the purchase of new factoriesat Lahr and Höchstadt in Germany.

A little known fact about INA is that in the1950’s it was at the forefront of cameratechnology, producing the legendaryMec16 and NaVax cameras at its factory inLahr. When the Lahr factory was takenover by the Schaeffler brothers, it wasreliant on the manufacture of camerasuntil it changed to rolling bearingproduction. The Mec 16 was the firstcamera where the exposure was pitcheddirectly onto the film. The camera was sosmall that it was also used as a ‘spycamera’.

In the 1950s the first steps were also takento establish INA as an internationalorganisation with the development offacilities and representation in a growingnumber of countries.

Its first office in the UK was opened in1955 in London. Thirteen years later, in1968, the established UK operationmoved to the industrial heartland in theMidlands and in 1979 the UK operationtransferred to its own purpose-built officeand warehousing complex in SuttonColdfield.

INA’s growing involvement in the UKautomotive industry prompted thedevelopment of a new production centreat Llanelli in Wales and this was expandedin 1982 and 1991 to meet the growingdemand for INA automotive components.Although originally built to meet the


Fragilis matrimonii vocificat cathedras, quod optimus lascivius oratori libere conubiu

1974

INA

Celebrating

1992


ANGING FACES

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m santet plane gulosus sabur.STAFF

INA, from the start, has been a “people

business”. Georg and Wilhelm Schaeffler

recognised from the outset that the company

was only as good as the people it employed.

They recognised that through the development

and encouragement of employees the

company could achieve greater success.

This philosophy has underpinned INA’s

achievements and is key to the future success

of the company following the recent

integration of the INA and FAG businesses.

‘‘ ‘‘

Fifty Years of Successful Business in the UK

2005

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AWARDS A

Celebrating Fifty Y

needs of the UK automotive industry,Bynea today is a centre of excellence formechanical tappet production, serving theneeds of the global industry.

INA companies were also set up on everycontinent across the world in order to beable to react quickly to market events andlocal customer requirements. INA becamea genuine global player in the bearingsand engine components market place.

Georg Schaeffler’s original design for thecage guided needle roller bearing is still inuse in its original form. But INA has notstood still. The original design has beencontinually improved and adapted tomeet increasing and diverse demands andnew products and assembled units havebeen added to the range. New applicationareas have been created by the company’sconstant research and productdevelopment.

Prime examples of INA’s ongoing creativeapproach to engineering are the widerange of linear guidance systems, itsunique drivetrain components forautomotive engines and its ranges ofheavy duty bearings.

Its bearing range alone grew from theoriginal cage guided needle roller bearingto a catalogue of over 25,000 standardproducts. Following the acquisition ofFAG in 2001 and the inclusion of itscomplementary bearing range, thenumber of standard products availablefrom what is now INA FAG stands at40,000.

However, from the outset, INA has neverbeen totally dependent on the standardproduct line. The aim has always been toturn innovative ideas into reality and aprime example of this approach is thedevelopment and expansion of the drawnmanufacturing method in the 1960s andthe implementation of automation tomake manufacturing more cost-effective.

It is also exemplified by the active co-operation with customers to develop


AW


AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Years of Successful Business in the UK

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WARDS


As a company our objectives have

always been speed, flexibility, cost-

awareness and quality and we have

been able to achieve these by

employing capable, qualified staff.

Our achievements are not just in

product quality and service , but also

in environmental protection, product

research and staff training. These

achievements have all been

recognised by many loyal customers,

official bodies and trade associations

over the past 50 years.

‘‘ ‘‘

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THE S

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complete solutions to their problemsrather than simply supplying off-the-shelfproducts. This approach has beenthoroughly adopted in the UK andinvolves the whole team – from the field-based sales engineers through the UK’sown engineering design team to theresearch specialists at the Herzogenaurachtechnical centre – now one of the largestengineering research facilities in theworld.

“In effect, we seek to work as part of thecustomer’s engineering design team tohelp develop the best solution to eachchallenge they face,” said Kate Hartigan,Managing Director of INA UK. “This focuson delivering the best solution has helpedus to counteract the diminishing marketplace and helped us to increase businesswith our existing customer base.”

INA’s primary “sales tools” are itsexemplary standards and creativeapproach to engineering, but there is nopoint in having these if the world doesn’tknow about them. Marketingcommunications, in all its forms, hasplayed an important part in the growth ofthe company. It started with the originalsample box carried by Georg and WilhelmSchaeffler but the marketing effort soonexpanded to encompass a presence atboth international and regional trade fairsand exhibitions plus an expanding rangeof technical literature and catalogues andtargeted advertising campaigns across theworld’s engineering media.

Today’s INA communication tools aredesigned to both inform and assistcustomers to make their bearing selection.The marketing effort is epitomised by themedias® professional bearing selectionsoftware. Available on CD-Rom and on-line, medias® is both a catalogue and abearing selection guide. It is backed by alibrary of highly detailed and informativetechnical brochures.

The Company continues to keep its name,capabilities and developments in front ofpotential customers through on-going


EXHI


HOW GOES ON…

fty Years of Successful Business in the UK

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BITIONS

The company’s first major foray into

the world of exhibitions was at the

Hanover Fair in 1956 and trade fairs

have played an important role in the

development of the company ever

since. INA now participates in

exhibitions on a global basis and its

presence is increasingly hi-tech. This

strategy has always been adopted by

the UK operation with participation

in all the major engineering

exhibitions and a presence at many

specialist market sector fairs.

‘‘ ‘‘

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IN

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media campaigns and through itscontinued participation in relevantexhibitions and trade fairs.

The organisation’s success in meetingboth its own self-imposed targets forquality and service has resulted over theyears in it being presented with a host ofawards by customers.

In the UK specifically, INA has receivedawards for excellence from Ford, Rover,JCB, Varian Medical Systems, PerkinsEngines, Black and Decker and Caterpillartestament to its ongoing determination to deliver the highest level of quality and service.

On an international basis, the list ofawards grows even longer.

On the formal front, INA UK is certified toISO 9001, the internationally recognisedstandard for quality management and toTS 16949, the automotive quality system -equivalent to a wide range of national andinternational standards including VDA6.1(Germany) and OS 9000 (USA).

INA has, since the early days, been abusiness that takes its environmentalresponsibilities seriously. INA UK firstachieved ISO 14001 certification of itsenvironmental management system in1996 and the following year achievedEMAS, (Eco-management and AuditScheme) certification. The certificationcovers both the Llanelli and SuttonColdfield sites.

The same rigorous approach to theenvironmental validation and certificationof the Group’s sites is implemented on aworldwide basis and this pioneeringapproach has been honoured severaltimes with the “Recognition ofAchievement–Environmental Leadership”award from the Ford Motor Company.

From the start INA has been a “peoplebusiness”. Georg and Wilhelm Schaefflerbelieved that a company is only as good asthe people it employs. They recognised


LITEINA Times

Triumph-back on track

I S S U E F I V E

Hanover Fair 2-3

Together we 3move the world

The quiet 4Phantom

Energy 9reduction goals

Engine 10componentsguide

In-House centreHighlights section S E E P A G E F O U R F O R D E T A I L S . . .

7

Looking back 13.5 million years

IN THIS ISSUE...

ISSUE 3 - May 2005

PRAXISPartnership forproblem solving

Maintec providesthe launch pad

10 15

Tandem ball bearings forrear axle drives

11


NA IN PRINT

fty Years of Successful Business in the UK

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Linear bearings and guidance systems

…beari

ngs, shaft

s, guideways

, acc

essorie

s, complete sy

stems…

a co

mprehensive ra

nge of linear

motion products

from a

single so

urce

RATURE

Marketing support has played an important part in the development of

INA. It started with the sample box carried by company founders Georg

and Wilhelm Schaeffler and developed from there to a comprehensive

range of product catalogues and technical literature. Today it is

epitomised by sophisticated CD-Rom and online facilities that are designed

to help customers select the product that meets their precise needs.‘‘

‘‘INA BEARING COMPANY LTD FORGE LANE, MINWORTH,

SUTTON COLDF IELD, WEST MIDLANDS B76 1AP

TELEPHONE: 0121 351 3833 FAX: 0121 351 7686

E-MAIL : INA-FAG@UK. INA.COM WEB: WWW. INA.CO.UK

Is your need for a simple, economical linear product with a long

operating life, or a complete linear system for a high speed application

with high load carrying capacity and high positioning accuracy?

Either way, INA can help.

Our comprehensive range of linear guides, actuators, bearings and

complete guidance systems is available from a single source – and

our approach is to provide every customer with a dedicated solution

tailored to give the optimum cost / performance for their application.

So, when you are looking for a linear motion solution, talk to INA…

we promise we will give you a straight answer.

ROLLER MONORAIL

SYSTEM - RUE

L I N E A R B A L L

B E A R I N G - K STRACK ROLLER

GUIDANCE

SYSTEM - LFCL

M I N I A T U R E

G U I D A N C E

SYSTEM - KUME

BALL MONORAIL SYSTEM – KUVE

COMPACT LINEAR GUIDANCE SYSTEM WITH A HIGH DEGREE OF DESIGN FLEXIBILITY FOR APPLICATIONS WITH HIGH GUIDANCE AND POSITIONING REQUIREMENTS

• UNIQUE BALL SPACERS FOR VERY QUIET RUNNING

• SUITABLE FOR HIGHLY DYNAMIC CONDITIONS

• INTEGRAL LUBRICANT RESERVOIRS FOR MAINTENANCE-FREE OPERATION

• WIDE RANGE OF CARRIAGE DESIGNS AND ACCESSORIES

The best in bearing technology

Unless you’re a Meerkat, it isn’t alwayspossible to stand around watching fordanger. And anyway, if you are responsiblefor heavy duty industrial machinery,you’ll know that the danger signals areusually hidden until it’s too late.

There is, however, an alternative way tomaintain constant vigilance.

Proactive preventive conditionmonitoring from INA FAG – it’s just assensitive inside an industrial environmentas the Meerkat is out in the wild.

Our condition monitoring products aredesigned to watch for the tell-tale signsof danger – particularly increased /uneven vibration or rises abovetemperature norms – in industrialmachines. This means you can takecorrective action before any realproblems occur. Ranging from simplebolt-on monitors to highly sophisticatedonline systems, our condition monitoringequipment helps you to preventemergency shut-downs and to plan yourmaintenance routines more efficientlyand cost-effectively.

For further details of our conditionmonitoring products and services call 0121 351 3833 or visit our web site at www.ina.co.uk and click on theCondition Monitoring and MaintenanceProducts link.

INA Bearing Company Ltd

Forge Lane, Minworth, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B76 1AP

Tel: 0121 351 3833 Fax: 0121 351 7686

E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.ina.co.uk

DETECTOR II

BEARING ANALYSER III

DTECT X1

EASY CHECK

Kate Hartigan, who joined the company in 1993 as

Finance Director said that in the past INA had

been perceived as a specialist player in the bearing

market but at the same time had been very

successful and was still was growing.

The biggest change during my early years with INA was the restructuring of

the Group management team and the introduction of a management

Board to provide future strategy and direction for the business worldwide.

Locally, we realised that increased competition from around the world was

going to change the face of the UK industry and throughout my time at INA the

manufacturing sector in the UK has continued to decline year by year. We have

seen our customers consolidating, especially in the automotive sector, or else

close altogether.

In addition, a number of our competitors joined forces and we have now taken

the same route through the acquisition and integration of FAG.

INA has counteracted the diminishing market place through our determination

to increase levels of business with current customers. We have achieved this by

working closely with customers. In effect, we seek to work as part of the

customer’s engineering design team to help develop the best solution to each

engineering challenge they face.

This focus on customer relationships ensures they understand the level of service

we can provide. Other businesses may simply sell products - our business is to

provide the best, most cost effective solutions for our customers’ applications.

Despite the changing face of industry, Kate Hartigan is confident about the

future for INA in the UK.

There are, for example, going to be opportunities from the economic growth

resulting from London winning the 2012 Olympics. The automotive industry is

under increasing pressure to develop better environmental performance which

also creates new opportunities for us.

The fact is that whenever you see something on the move the likelihood is it will

have a bearing of some kind in it and this isn’t going to change. INA FAG now

has the capability to engineer and supply virtually any kind of bearing for every

type of application. Combined with our focus on delivering the best solution to

each customer, this should ensure a very healthy future both for the

organisation in the UK and for the Group worldwide.

KATE HARTIGAN MANAGING DIRECTOR

12 Years Service

JOHN MUNGOVAN PLANNING DEPARTMENT

29 years service

LOOKING BACK,

‘‘‘‘

Here’s what some of the longer serving memb

My memories are of the people who have worked in

and managed INA. They have always had the best

interests of the company at heart and have always

tried different ways to improve productivity.

The fact that we have increased sales year on year and have continually

developed and engineered new products is proof that we are market

leaders in a lot of areas.‘‘

that through the development andencouragement of the employees thecompany could achieve greater success.

These guiding principles are still inoperation today and staff are activelyencouraged and supported in furthereducation and training.

In-house training on products and systemsis provided in the company’s own trainingfacilities. The principal training centre is atHerzogenaurach, but each site also has itsown training centre and specialist trainingteam. As well as training our ownemployees, these facilities are also used toprovide training courses for customersand their staff.

The purpose-built and fully equippedtraining centre at Sutton Coldfield in theUK and the associated productshowroom, are popular venues forcustomers across a wide range ofindustries.

INA also provides formal apprenticeshipsand supports further external educationand training with a view to creating botha clearer career path and better prospectsfor employees. The pay-back is that thecompany gets a skilled workforce, betterable to meet the needs of modernindustry.

Life, however, is not all work – and INAhas always been active in encouragingand sponsoring social and sportingevents for its employees. This attitudedates back to post-war Germany whentimes were hard, but the INA “family” stillexists today and can be seen in a range ofactivities organised by and for bothexisting and retired staff.

In the UK the latest of these is the GoldenJubilee Dinner Dance held in thewonderful setting of the BirminghamBotanical Gardens to celebrate 50 yearsof successful business in the UK andattended by both present and pastemployees….but we’ll tell you moreabout this in our next issue.


‘‘

BRIAN FOX ENGINEERING MANAGER, LLANELLI

35 years service

Automotive director John Taylor

joined INA after completing an

apprenticeship with competitor

British Timken and admits that

during the first month he

wondered if he had made the right

decision as several of his colleagues were leaving and strikes

were being threatened. However, things quickly settled and John

Taylor hasn’t looked back.

INA was and is a dynamic organisation. We promised

customers that we would design, develop and make any

product that was viable and this offered great flexibility and

opportunity for innovation,” he said.

When I joined the company it was almost a cottage industry. It

was a bit fly by the seat of your pants but it was very dynamic.

Our customer base was much greater. We were, for example,

one of the biggest suppliers of bearings to the textile industry but

by 1985 virtually the whole industry had relocated overseas.

But we have changed to meet each new challenge and we

continue to pride ourselves on our levels of customer service

and our ability to react to their problems. INA has a much

more proactive attitude to our customers needs than others in

the market place and this has stood us in good stead from the

outset and will take us forward into the future.

John Taylor’s specialism when he joined the company was in

military machinery. He later progressed to heavy industry and

finally moved over to the automotive division in 1988.

When I joined the company it turned over £2 million per year.

Now the UK automotive division alone is worth about £30

million per annum. It shows how we’ve continued to progress

despite increasing competition and a more difficult

trading environment.

Chris Snape joined INA in 1975 in

what he describes as an environment

of limited opportunities but he hasn’t

looked for another job since, despite an increasingly difficult

market.

Over the past 30 years INA has become a world wide,

multinational organisation.

It has been a big change but it’s a positive move forward and

the result will be the establishment of INA as a global premium

brand.

With this increasing international focus , I’m looking forward

to exploring the market potential in the Far East and Asia

Pacific regions.

CHRIS SNAPE SALES MANAGER

30 Years Service

I was originally a carpet layer but applied for and got a

job in the INA store room on the recommendation of a

neighbour. I hadn’t heard of INA and didn’t know what

a bearing was prior to the discussion with my friend.

Now I’ve done 33 years and I would like to think I will be here

right up to retirement.

The company has been good to work for and has always taken

training seriously – whether its been computer instruction or an

introduction to new products, they’ve put us through proper

training courses.

TERRY MELLOY WAREHOUSE

33 years service

AND TO THE FUTURE

‘‘ ‘‘

‘‘J U

BIL

EE

GO

LDE

N


‘‘Brian Fox joined INA in 1970 as a

product technician. In recent years

he has been tasked to look beyond

the engineering works at the factory

in Wales towards a global program aimed at improving

customer service.

His experience has contributed to the development of a

formal system for managing a product’s complete life cycle –

from concept through to delivery to the customer and

beyond. The system has now been introduced globally

by the Schaeffler Group.

I originally wanted to be an artist but was encouraged by

my father to ‘get a real career’ and after 35 years I have no

regrets about my career choice or my decision to stay with

INA.

Early on in my career I had the opportunity to spend a year

in Germany where I was able to observe Dr Georg Schaeffler

at work on the factory floor. Following his example I have

never been afraid to ‘get my hands dirty’.

The UK leads the way in managing the process from

product concept, through introduction to the customer, to

installation, maintenance and replacement.

The heart of our company is its engineering. We rely on

our reputation, and the process developed from our UK

experience ensures efficient delivery of the right product

for the right application. The result is an ongoing,

positive relationship with our clients.

JOHN TAYLOR AUTOMOTIVE DIRECTOR

33 years service

bers of INA’s UK staff have to say about the company….

‘‘

‘‘ ‘‘

‘‘

…AND ANOTHERSPECIAL CELEBRATION

INA UK’S GOLDEN JUBILEE IS

NOT THE ONLY VERY SPECIAL

ANNIVERSARY BEING CELEBRATED

THIS YEAR. 2005 IS ALSO THE

CENTENARY OF THE REGISTRATION

OF THE FAG TRADEMARK.


Now a part of the Schaeffler Group, FAG actually

traces its history back over 100 years to the time

when company founder Friedrich Fischer invented

a machine capable of delivering products of

hitherto unknown precision – perfectly round

steel balls.

By the time the trademark was registered the companywas already a global player, delivering ball bearings tocustomers throughout the world.

Originally designed for use in bicycles, the ball bearings

were further developed by FAG engineers for use in carsand motorcycles and, despite fierce competition fromlocal manufacturers and prohibitive duties imposed by theUS government, the Fischer bearings made thebreakthrough in to the American automotive market.

FAG bearings still play an important role in theautomotive industry – they are, for example, used in boththe front and rear axle assemblies on the BMWZ8, one ofthe latest James Bond cars – but over the past 100 years,the brand has, quite literally, spread its wings.

FAG bearings have been to the moon and back (aboardApollo 15); they helped drill the Channel Tunnel; they help get visitors to the top of the Eiffel Tower and keep the London Eye turning; and FAG bearings and othercomponents feature in the Rolls Royce Trent engineswhich keep the Airbus A380 – the world’s largestpassenger aircraft – safely in the sky.

INA and FAG now operate on a united front under theSchaeffler Group banner, providing bearings andengineered components for virtually any imaginableapplication and between them help keep the world moving smoothly.

YE

AR

S100


Forge Lane, Minworth, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B76 1AP

Tel: 0121 351 3833 Fax: 0121 351 7686 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.ina.co.uk

in-motion anniversary edition art - schaeffler group bearings and baltzer special needle bearings...

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