Sliding Bearing Market

Global Sliding Bearing Market Size

The global sliding bearing market was valued at USD 1.04 billion in 2024 and is anticipated to reach USD 1.11 billion in 2025 from USD 1.81 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 6.37% during the forecast period from 2025 to 2033.

Bridge bearings, as considered under the scope of the bridge bearing report, are mechanical parts of a bridge structure that react as a supporting surface on either side of a deck and bridge pier or beam. Its prime motive is to permit controlled movement just in case of seismic or similar forces by eliminating the strain involved. Bridge bearings are available in various designs, like elastomeric, pot, spherical, sliding plate, disc, roller, spherical, etc. Moreover, these bearings are either made up of steel or rubber, or a mixture of materials.

MARKET DRIVERS

The global sliding bearing market is supported by the rising need for extended efficiency, increasing railway development projects, and the growing call for light rail & metros with urbanization. Moreover, the increasing potential for freight transport between the countries has prompted the necessity for custom-designed cars. This needs modification within the bogies to sustain such heavy loads. These modifications will cause the need for a greater number of sliding bearings, which can consequently increase the interest in sliding bearings.

MARKET RESTRAINTS

The industry faces a possible threat from the opposite bearing types, which may handle loads from any direction. Hydrodynamic bearings can handle radial loads; however, they're unable to handle axial loads and are vulnerable to failure. However, the gradual transition of combustion engines to electric vehicles additionally poses a heavy threat, as a lesssmallerge of bearings would be needed due to the replacement ICof engines. Raw materials account for about 60% to 62% of the bearing manufacturer’s revenue. Alloy or high-grade steel is typically used to manufacture bearings, which exposes the industry to the volatility of worldwide steel prices. Most components of the bearing li, like the annular ring, outer ring, rolling element, and cage, are made from steel, aside from the seals.

REPORT COVERAGE

SEGMENT ANALYSIS

By Application Insights

The Bogie segment leads the sliding bearing marketplace for the railway, by application, during the review period. One bogie consists of varied components like a wheelset, stabilizer, bolster, dampers, swing links, and tilting mechanisms. Together, one bogie has 10-12 units of sliding bearings, and because the bogie may be a basic requirement for all locomotives, EMUs, DMUs, coaches, wagons, metros, and high-speed trains, the demand for sliding bearings would be higher in this application.

By Material Insights

The metallic sliding bearing segment is predicted to steer the market during the outlook period, as metallic bearings can bear high loads and withstand heat. It's utilized in critical application areas like engine components like crankshaft, rod, camshaft, and valves (inlet and exhaust); wheelsets; and a few exterior components. The metallic sliding bearing will still dominate the market in the future due to its superior performance in withstanding heat and harsh environments.

REGIONAL ANALYSIS

North America is expected to record significant growth over the foreseeable period, thanks to favorable government initiatives for the security of autos and passengers. Moreover, a stable economy, advanced technology, and a hike in interest for bearings from various industry verticals like aerospace & defense and power are likely to further raise the market growth in North America. Asia Pacific is projected to steer the global sliding bearing market during the foreseen phaperiodanks to its higher demand for railways compared with other regions like Europe and the Americas. Moreover, the railway network extension plans by regional governments have also spurred interest in locomotives, wagons, and coaches. Also, the country-level projects to make public transportation more convenient and reduce traffic congestion will grow the demand for this market. As an example, the Chinese government has invested an estimated USD 148 billion to deploy more metros within the cities of Baotou, Urumqi, and Xiamen. Similar efforts are observed in other Asian countries like India, Japan, and Thailand. Therefore, all these future interests in the railways will lead to the installation of plain bearings for various applications have resulting in the growth of the sliding-bearing market within the region. NTN Corporation, THK, Longxi Bearing Group, and MinebeaMitsumi are key players serving the demand within the regional market.

KEY MARKET PLAYERS

Canam Group Inc., Trelleborg AB, Ekspan Limited, Epic Polymer Systems Corp., Freyssinet Limited, Granor Rubber & Engineering Pty. Limited, Gumba GmbH & Co. KG, KantaFlex (India) Private Limited, Mageba SA, Metal Engineering & Treatment Co. Pvt. Ltd., RJ Watson, Inc., Structural Rubber Products, Cosmec Inc., Voss Engineering, Inc., Zaoqiang Dacheng Rubber Co., Ltd. These are the market players that are dominating the global sliding-bearing market.

RECENT HAPPENINGS IN THE MARKET 

• Schaeffler India Limited introduced the launch event of locally manufactured Current Insulated Bearings. This sets a replacement precedent for the industry as Schaeffler India became the primary and only manufacturer in India to develop Current Insulated Bearings locally because the company introduced the merchandise.
• The word ‘hybrid’ is employed in engineering to explain a system where two different technologies are combined. togus® has now achieved this goal with a new type of economical hybrid roll and slide linear bearing.
• A brand-new slide bearing style with water lubrication and galvanic coupling prevents tribocorrosion while not furthering electricity. But so far, the fact that metal parts corrode once they come into contact with water has been a serious obstacle.

MARKET SEGMENTATION

This research report on the global sliding bearing market is segmented and sub-segmented into the following categories.

By Application

• Engine
• Brakes
• Bogie
• Interior
• Exterior

By Bearing Type

• Linear
• Thrust
• Radial
• Angular contact
• Others

By Material

• Metallic
• Non-metallic

By Railway Type

• Locomotive
• Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU)
• Electric Multiple Unit (EMU)
• Coach
• Wagon
• Light and Metro rail
• High-speed train

By Region

• North America
• Europe 
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East and Africa