Plain Bearings

Global Plain Bearings Market to Reach US$18.4 Billion by 2030

The global market for Plain Bearings estimated at US$13.3 Billion in the year 2024, is expected to reach US$18.4 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 5.5% over the analysis period 2024-2030. Journal Plain Bearings, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is expected to record a 6.3% CAGR and reach US$8.4 Billion by the end of the analysis period. Growth in the Linear Plain Bearings segment is estimated at 5.3% CAGR over the analysis period.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at US$1.6 Billion While China is Forecast to Grow at 7.0% CAGR

The Plain Bearings market in the U.S. is estimated at US$1.6 Billion in the year 2024. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$5.5 Billion by the year 2030 trailing a CAGR of 7.0% over the analysis period 2024-2030. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at a CAGR of 3.6% and 4.5% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 4.4% CAGR.

Global Plain Bearings Market - Key Trends & Drivers Summarized

Plain bearings, also known as bushings or sleeve bearings, play a pivotal role in the mechanical industry by supporting loads and facilitating the sliding or rotational motion between two machine components. These bearings, primarily characterized by their lack of rolling elements, stand out for their simplicity, reliability, and long service life, especially in high-load industrial applications. Simplest of all bearings, plain bearings are used in applications with continuous motion and light loads, such as crankshafts. Mostly finding applications in rectification of component misalignments, plain bearings are made up of cylindrical inserts. Raw materials used in the manufacture of plain bearings include white metal, cast iron, special plastics, and phosphor-bronze. Plain bearings are classified as spherical bushings, pilloballs, polymer plain bearings, and spherical plain bearings.

Product innovations and technological advancements are setting a perfect landscape for lucrative opportunities for the global plain bearings market. Advances like effective seal and lubrication technologies along with introduction of products with high stability, reduced energy usage, low friction and lightweight nature are buoying the demand for plain bearings. The introduction of sophisticated spherical rollers is leading to performance gains and reducing maintenance costs. In addition, self-lubricating options are eliminating the requirement of external lubrication while composite plain bearings and maintenance-free spherical plain bearings are gaining popularity. Market growth is also favored by increasing uptake of ceramic ball components owing to their enhanced strength and high adoption of smart bearings or plain bearings featuring compressed air cushioning. Bearing applications are set to benefit from innovations leading to availability of plain bearings marked by high speeds, reduced wear and superior durability. Innovations in material science have led to the development of advanced composite materials that enhance the performance and longevity of plain bearings.

The growth in the plain bearings market is driven by several factors, including strong focus on efficient heavy-loading systems, rapid industrialization across developing nations, increasing automobile production, shift towards wind energy, and technological advancements. Rising uptake of plain bearings in numerous industries remains a primary driver for the global market, propelling the demand from applications like elevators, production lines and conveyor belts. The high performance and durability makes plain bearings an appealing option for diverse industry verticals such as automotive, aerospace, oilfield machinery, construction, energy, and agricultural/ gardening machinery. Rising vehicle production on account of increasing demand for traditional automobiles and EVs coupled with favorable regulations and zero-emission initiatives are powering plain bearing demand. The market is slated to move ahead and gain momentum with availability of sophisticated seal and lubrication technologies intended to reduce friction and drive energy efficiency. Product innovations and technological advancements are opening new growth opportunities by leading to smart bearings with enhanced performance and reduced maintenance costs. The rise of Industry 4.0 along with increasing adoption of emerging technologies are augmenting the demand for plain bearings with capability to collect process data to support monitoring and predictive maintenance applications. These factors collectively ensure the steady expansion of the plain bearings market, addressing the evolving needs of industries for reliable and cost-effective bearing solutions.

SCOPE OF STUDY:

The report analyzes the Plain Bearings market in terms of units by the following Segments, and Geographic Regions/Countries:

Segments:
Type (Journal, Linear, Thrust, Other Types); End-Use (Automotive, Industrial, Aerospace, Energy, Construction Machinery, Oilfield Machinery, Other End-Uses)

Geographic Regions/Countries:
World; USA; Canada; Japan; China; Europe; France; Germany; Italy; UK; Spain; Russia; Rest of Europe; Asia-Pacific; India; South Korea; Rest of Asia-Pacific; Latin America; Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; Rest of Latin America; Middle East; Africa.

Select Competitors (Total 123 Featured) -

• Accurate Bushing Co Inc.
• AB SKF
• Alloy Bearings
• Austin Engineering Company Limited
• GGB, a Timken Company
• GGT Gleitlager AG
• igus
• Kashima Bearings, Inc.
• Kingsbury, Inc.
• MinebeaMitsumi, Inc.
• NSK Ltd.
• NTN Corporation
• PBC Linear
• RBC Bearings Incorporated
• Schaeffler Group
• The Timken Company
• THK Co., Ltd.
• Thomson Industries, Inc.

TARIFF IMPACT FACTOR

Our new release incorporates impact of tariffs on geographical markets as we predict a shift in competitiveness of companies based on HQ country, manufacturing base, exports and imports (finished goods and OEM). This intricate and multifaceted market reality will impact competitors by artificially increasing the COGS, reducing profitability, reconfiguring supply chains, amongst other micro and macro market dynamics.

We are diligently following expert opinions of leading Chief Economists (14,949), Think Tanks (62), Trade & Industry bodies (171) worldwide, as they assess impact and address new market realities for their ecosystems. Experts and economists from every major country are tracked for their opinions on tariffs and how they will impact their countries.

We expect this chaos to play out over the next 2-3 months and a new world order is established with more clarity. We are tracking these developments on a real time basis.

As we release this report, U.S. Trade Representatives are pushing their counterparts in 183 countries for an early closure to bilateral tariff negotiations. Most of the major trading partners also have initiated trade agreements with other key trading nations, outside of those in the works with the United States. We are tracking such secondary fallouts as supply chains shift.

To our valued clients, we say, we have your back. We will present a simplified market reassessment by incorporating these changes!

APRIL 2025: NEGOTIATION PHASE

Our April release addresses the impact of tariffs on the overall global market and presents market adjustments by geography. Our trajectories are based on historic data and evolving market impacting factors.

JULY 2025 FINAL TARIFF RESET

Complimentary Update: Our clients will also receive a complimentary update in July after a final reset is announced between nations. The final updated version incorporates clearly defined Tariff Impact Analyses.

Reciprocal and Bilateral Trade & Tariff Impact Analyses:

USA
CHINA
MEXICO
CANADA
EU
JAPAN
INDIA
176 OTHER COUNTRIES.

Leading Economists - Our knowledge base tracks 14,949 economists including a select group of most influential Chief Economists of nations, think tanks, trade and industry bodies, big enterprises, and domain experts who are sharing views on the fallout of this unprecedented paradigm shift in the global econometric landscape. Most of our 16,491+ reports have incorporated this two-stage release schedule based on milestones.

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