2026

• Supporting predictive maintenance and labor savings through real-time monitoring of vibration and temperature without major equipment modifications
• Effectiveness confirmed through evaluations at manufacturing companies and plant-related companies, including reduced maintenance costs

NTN Corporation (“NTN”) is advancing validation efforts toward the commercialization of its Sensor Integrated Bearing “Talking Bearing™,” *¹ which enables the bearing itself to communicate equipment conditions. “Talking Bearing™” enables real-time visualization of equipment conditions while maintaining the same dimensions as a standard bearing, helping users detect abnormalities at an early stage and improve maintenance efficiency. Through evaluations conducted with manufacturers, plant operators, and infrastructure maintenance providers, NTN has been validating its effectiveness and usability and is working toward early commercialization.

In recent years, manufacturing sites have faced challenges such as labor shortages and a declining number of experienced technicians, while the demand for stable equipment operations and more efficient maintenance operations has been increasing. As a result, interest in condition monitoring technologies that detect equipment abnormalities at an early stage and help prevent equipment failures continues to grow. To expand the application of the equipment diagnostic and predictive maintenance technologies it has developed over the years, NTN is developing “Talking Bearing™,” which enables advanced condition monitoring simply by replacing existing bearings.

“Talking Bearing™” is a sensor integrated bearing that incorporates vibration, temperature, and rotational speed sensors, a generator, and wireless communication devices inside the bearing. Because it has the same dimensions as a standard bearing and requires no wiring for power supply or communications, it can be introduced without design changes or major modifications to existing equipment. By acquiring vibration data from bearings and equipment as well as temperature data from inside the bearing in real time and identifying signs of abnormalities at an early stage, it contributes to reducing the risk of equipment downtime, improving the efficiency of maintenance operations, and achieving labor savings.

Since announcing the development of “Talking Bearing™” in 2022, NTN has continued to refine the product based on customer evaluations and feedback. In addition to expanding the range of supported bearing sizes, including smaller sizes, NTN has enhanced heat resistance, improved communication functions, developed dedicated devices for data collection and wireless relay that can be easily installed in manufacturing environments, and strengthened data visualization and utilization capabilities, while continuing to improve its functionality with actual equipment operation in mind.

Through test marketing conducted to date, evaluations have been carried out for motors, pumps, fans, and gearboxes. Customers have commented that the product “can be easily applied to existing equipment” and “makes it easy to acquire and utilize condition monitoring data.” NTN has also confirmed examples in which overhaul intervals were extended to more than twice their previous length and annual maintenance costs were reduced to less than half at some customers. Moving forward, NTN will continue evaluations under a wider variety of equipment and operating environments and advance validation toward practical implementation.

Through the expansion of condition monitoring solutions*², including “Talking Bearing™,” NTN will support efforts to reduce the risk of equipment downtime and achieve labor savings in maintenance operations, contributing to the realization of manufacturing sites where “machines keep running” and to improved customer productivity.

1. Press release on June 22, 2022:
   NTN Develops Sensor Integrated Bearing “Talking Bearing™”
   https://www.ntnglobal.com/en/news/new_products/news202200044.html
2. NTN Solutions Supporting Bearing Operation and Maintenance(Japanese only):
   https://www.ntn.co.jp/japan/service_solution/index.html

Key features of “Talking Bearing™”

1. Easy Installation on Existing Equipment	Enables condition monitoring simply by replacing a standard bearing No equipment modifications or wiring required
2. High-Precision Sensing of Equipment Conditions from Inside the Bearing	Real-time acquisition of vibration and temperature data Early detection of abnormal conditions, helping reduce the risk of equipment downtime
3. Enhanced Functions and Performance for Commercialization	Expanded supported bearing size range (bearing outside diameters from 90 mm to 160 mm) Improved heat resistance (operable at temperatures up to 100°C) Optimized data acquisition and communication functions, developed dedicated devices for data collection and wireless relay, and enhanced monitoring system capabilities, including simultaneous monitoring of multiple machines and remote monitoring

Talking Bearing Size Comparison
Left: Downsized model (bearing outside diameter: 90 mm)
Right: Model announced at the 2022 development launch (bearing outside diameter: 150 mm)

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