I. Explosive Growth: Data-Driven "Hardcore" Expansion

In 2024, China's bearing industry delivered another remarkable performance: revenue exceeded 231.5 billion yuan, with production reaching 33.7 billion sets, both setting new historical records. The first quarter of 2025 maintained this momentum, with industrial output value up 11.14% year-on-year and exports increasing by 8.7%, including a 25.3% surge in March alone (68,366 tons). This growth stems not only from stable domestic demand but also breakthroughs in high-end sectors, where Chinese bearings are transitioning from "quantity expansion" to "quality transformation"

II. Technological Breakthroughs: Conquering "Neck" Challenges in High-End Fields

1. Aerospace and High-Speed Rail: Bearings in the "Final Frontier"

• Rocket Powerhouses: The three-point contact ball bearings and self-lubricating precision bearings developed by Sinomach Precision Engineering Bearing Research Institute for the Long March II F Y20 rocket supporting the Shenzhou-20 crewed mission achieved international advanced performance 
• Railway Precision: Luozhou Bearing Group (LUZHOU) supplied bearings for the FAST Telescope, the world’s largest single-dish radio telescope, and navigation bearings for lunar exploration missions 

2. Wind Power and Robotics: From Followers to Leaders

• Wind Energy Giant: In March 2024, Luoyang Bearing Science & Technology Co. (LYB) unveiled the 25 MW offshore wind turbine main bearing, setting a global capacity record and capturing over 40% of China’s domestic market 
• Robotics Revolution: Luoyang Hongyuan Bearing Tech pioneered precision bearings for robotic joints, now exported to Japan and other markets 

3. Material Revolution: Doubling Lifespan with "Black Tech"
A team from Dalian University of Technology developed resin-matrix composite bearings, extending service life from 1,000 hours to 6,000 hours while reducing weight to 1/6 of copper alloys. These are now used in aerospace engine fuel pumps

III. Smart Revolution: Bearings Evolving into "System Stewards"

1. Self-Sensing Bearings: From Passive Components to Active Managers

• Real-Time Monitoring: HRB’s self-aware smart bearings integrate sensors to track RPM, temperature, and vibration, achieving 92% accuracy in fault prediction.
• Self-Regulation: Magnetic fluid lubrication and energy-harvesting technologies enable dynamic lubrication adjustments and self-repair, extending maintenance intervals to 100,000 km 

2. 5G + Industrial IoT: Full Digitalization of Production
LUZHOU invested over ¥1 billion to upgrade legacy lines with "5G + Industrial IoT," digitizing design, material selection, production, and delivery. Efficiency surged by 40%

IV. Challenges and Opportunities: Competing Globally with Chinese Strategies

1. Persistent Weaknesses

• High-End Reliance: Aviation bearings, high-speed rail bearings, and ultra-precision bearings still depend on imports, with foreign firms dominating 60% of the global high-end market 
• Basic Research Gaps: Material science, tribology, and ultra-precision machining lag behind Germany and Japan 

2. Policy-Driven Upgrades

• R&D Investment: Leading firms like LYB and SINOMACH allocate 8-12% of revenue to R&D, focusing on smart manufacturing and green technologies 
• Talent Cultivation: Henan University of Science and Technology (HAUST), the only university in China with a full undergraduate-to-PhD bearing program, produces 100+ elite graduates annually, all snapped up by top firms like LYB and HAUST’s industry-academy collaboration hubs 

V. Future Outlook: A 500 Billion Yuan Ecosystem by 2030

According to China Machinery Industry Federation forecasts, China’s bearing industry will hit ¥500 billion in total output by 2030, with high-end bearings accounting for 40% and smart bearings penetrating 30% of applications. Innovations like ceramic matrix composite bearings (targeting aerospace) and AI-driven predictive maintenance systems are poised to redefine global standards

As President Xi Jinping emphasized during his 2025 inspection of LYZHOU, "Bearings are the joints of industry. Mastering this core technology is vital for China’s industrial sovereignty." With relentless innovation and strategic investments, China is closing the gap—one precision bearing at a time.