B&K Vibro acquired by Japan’s NSK

Brüel & Kjær Vibro (B&K Vibro), a leading worldwide independent supplier of condition monitoring solutions for rotating machinery, has been acquired by NSK, a specialist in researching, designing and manufacturing motion and control solutions.

“Condition monitoring systems and services are a growing market, and B&K Vibro is the current and future leader in this industry,” Toshihiro Uchiyama, president and CEO, NSK. “By combining B&K Vibro’s expertise with NSK’s strength as a global leader in the bearing industry with more than 100 years of accumulated knowledge and experience across a range of applications, our two companies will create even more value for society.”

NSK said its portfolio of products and technologies enhance automotive performance and industrial productivity, while reducing energy consumption. As the leading supplier of bearings in Japan and the third-largest supplier in the world by market share, NSK employs approximately 30 000 people in more than 200 locations across 30 countries, alongside a vast network of joint ventures and partnerships.

NSK has been developing condition monitoring systems (CMS) for internal and field use for decades. Having identified the market need and opportunity to put CMS technology directly in the hands of customers, NSK established a Condition Monitoring System Development Centre in April 2019 to create solutions to help customers manage the health of their machinery. To accelerate this initiative, NSK has acquired B&K Vibro, which will lead NSK’s global CMS business development as a new autonomous unit within the NSK organization, as NSK grows to become a global leader in condition monitoring.