September 26, 2003

By: Mark Harris
Website: http://www.bearing-n-bearings.com

One stop source & new solutions for forklift trucks and material handling with wide bearings

Emerson Bearing, based in Brighton MA, keeps the machines running in the industries that need them. When the forklift trucks and material handling industries require bearings, they go to Emerson for advice on their options and for the best choice of new and innovative products. With most bearings on the shelf ready to be shipped, from tiny six mm bearings for gyroscopes to enormous four-foot wide bearings for steel and paper mills, Emerson Bearing’s singular focus on stocking ball and roller bearings has made them experts in the field.

TOWERING EXPERTISE MEANS SHORT CUSTOMER DOWN-TIME

The materials handling market is a highly competitive one concerning price. While at the same time, this market often requires expertise to identify a bearing or a piece of leaf chain. Many times customers on tight deadlines send sketches to Emerson Bearing with the request to help them determine what parts are required. The specialists at Emerson are able to quickly identify the problem, offer a solution and ship out the product, many in a matter of hours with overnight turnaround. Emerson’s business thrives on not charging a premium for sharing their expertise in the field.

THE FORKLIFT USER’S TOP THREE

The major parts bought from Emerson by the forklift industry are mast guide and “load wheel” bearings and leaf chain. Mast guide bearings act as guides for the blades as they travel up and down the forklift mast. “Load wheel” bearings are used in the truck’s polyethylene wheels. Where leaf chain, helping to raise and lower the forklift mast, is needed, Emerson Bearing helped introduce the concept of “cut chain to order.” Previously if a customer needed to replace nineteen feet, six inches of leaf chain, he would have to buy a 25-foot segment. Emerson has relationships with factories that will cut the chain to the exact length needed and ship it out to the consumer within 24 hours.

EQUIPPED FOR THE FUTURE BY STOCKING THE PAST

In the forklift truck industry, emergency parts are often required for machines that are over thirty years old. “Since there are many old trucks in the field,” says Steve Katz, CEO of Emerson Bearing, “we get calls from people looking for bearings they’ve been told are obsolete. The parts are not obsolete to us. With our expansive in-house inventory, the parts are often right on our shelves.”

Katz added, “Customers often tell us they don’t have to worry because they feel as if we are just down the street from them, ready whenever they need us.” Emerson holds special reserve stocks for some customers who know they will need certain bearings promptly. Their typical customer has a fleet of trucks on the road calling on clients in the field. Emerson’s proficiency saves their customers down-time and aggravation.

CONVEYORS AND CONVEYING: FACTORIES TO FAST FOOD

Using both bearings and pillow-block bearings, a bearing in a housing that is mounted on the machine, the conveyor market runs the gamut from heavy duty applications in the mining industry and in the automotive factory setting, to FDA-approved stainless steel or thermoplastic styles for use in the food processing and packaging industries where non-corrosive equipment is essential. Emerson supplies a large amount of lower-priced Asian products as well as high-end European bearings.

FROM THE INVENTOR, DA VINCI, TO THE SUPPLIER, EMERSON In a proud tradition, the same families that started the company in 1957 keep Emerson Bearing rolling by specializing in bearings for OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Operations) markets across the country. More than 30 people comprise their knowledgeable staff backed up by 33,000 square feet of warehouse holding bearings from precision miniatures of 3mm inside dimension to steel mill giants of five feet across.

Offering the right bearing for the job, Emerson also offers several price points within their vast inventory drawn from Asia, Europe and North America. Premium bearing brands include FAG, NTN, INA, NSK, KOYO and Nachi, while value-priced brands such as KBC, IKO, IPTCI, CBF, and others are in stock in a range of precision levels from Abec#1 to Abec#7. In addition, Emerson stocks in depth specialty products such as cam followers, linear motion bearings, and non-bearing items including oil seals, o-rings, roller chain, and v-belts.

About The Author:

Mark Harris is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.bearing-n-bearings.com.  Keep things running smoothly with ball bearings, roller bearings, ball thrust bearings and tapered bearings.