Waukesha Bearings

What Waukesha Bearings does

Waukesha Bearings Corporation, founded in 1946 in Wisconsin and headquartered in Pewaukee, is a custom-engineered manufacturer of fluid film bearings and active magnetic bearing (AMB) systems for high-performing turbomachinery. The company designs hydrodynamic journal and thrust bearings, magnetic bearing assemblies with proprietary controllers (Zephyr, Chinook, Elephanta), brush seals, and rotordynamic analysis services for compressors, turbines, pumps, motors, generators, and gearboxes. Its technology portfolio includes patented innovations such as the Integral Squeeze Film Damper (ISFD), Maxalign ball-and-socket pivot bearings, Flexure Pivot tilt-pad designs, and the proprietary TruTech polymer materials platform, supported by dedicated test infrastructure including the Houston Innovation Lab and the Red Rig magnetic bearing test stand in Worthing, UK.

Waukesha Bearings operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dover Corporation (NYSE: DOV) within the Dover Precision Components operating company, which also includes Cook Compression and Inpro/Seal. Revenue is generated through quote-based, custom-engineered projects with OEMs and end-users across oil & gas, power generation, wind energy, hydrogen, marine, and industrial markets, supplemented by an aftermarket service arm (Bearings Plus) offering 24/7 repairs, retrofits, and rotordynamic analysis. Manufacturing is distributed across the United States (Antigo, Pearland, Houston), United Kingdom (Glasgow, Worthing), Mexico (Guaymas), and China (Suzhou), with localized direct engineering sales globally.

The go-to-market is enterprise field sales with engineering-led co-development, supplemented by technical content marketing, case studies, and presence at industry events such as ASME Turbo Expo, WindEnergy Hamburg, and Turbomachinery and Pump Symposia. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification across five manufacturing sites, plus ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 at multiple facilities, and maintains a portfolio of registered patents and trademarks across its core product families.

Name

Waukesha Bearings

Legal name

Waukesha Bearings Corporation

Website

https://waukbearing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Waukesha Bearings is a custom-engineered manufacturer of fluid film bearings, active magnetic bearing systems, and brush seals for high-performing turbomachinery, serving OEMs and end-users in oil & gas, power generation, wind, hydrogen, marine, and industrial markets globally as part of Dover Precision Components within Dover Corporation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Bearings and Sealing Solutions for Turbomachinery

NAICS

Ball and Roller Bearing Manufacturing (332991)

SIC

Ball & Roller Bearings (3562)

akta.pro primary industry

Aerospace Bearings, Bushings & Motion Components (IMABANAB)

Keywords

• Fluid film bearings
• Magnetic bearing systems
• Turbomachinery components
• Brush seal technology
• Rotordynamic analysis services

Headquarters

HQ city

Pewaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Engineered Bearings: Waukesha Bearings designs and manufactures custom-engineered fluid film bearings, magnetic bearing systems, and brush seals for high-performing turbomachinery. Revenue is generated through project-based sales of custom-designed bearings and assemblies for OEM and end-user customers.
2. Aftermarket Products and Services: Bearings Plus, the aftermarket arm of Waukesha Bearings, provides expert repairs, replacements and upgrades for bearings and seals to extend equipment life and increase efficiency. Technical support includes rotordynamic analysis and 24/7 operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Waukesha Bearings designs and manufactures custom-engineered fluid film bearings, active magnetic bearing (AMB) systems, and brush seals for high-performing turbomachinery. The portfolio spans journal and thrust bearings, horizontal and vertical assemblies, AMB controllers, polymer materials, and complementary engineering services including rotordynamic analysis and aftermarket support through Bearings Plus, serving OEMs and end-users in oil & gas, power generation, wind, marine, and industrial markets.

Product overview

Waukesha Bearings is a market leader in custom-engineered fluid film bearings, magnetic bearing systems, and brush seals for high-performing turbomachinery. The company operates as a division of Dover Precision Components and offers a comprehensive portfolio including NordAlign wind turbine bearings, ISFD damping technology, TruTech polymer materials, and various AMB controllers (Zephyr, Chinook, Elephanta). The product line spans core bearing products (journal, thrust, horizontal/vertical assemblies), control systems, sealing solutions, and aftermarket services through Bearings Plus, supported by rotordynamic analysis and testing services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NordAlign: Fluid film bearing specifically engineered for wind turbine main shafts, featuring tilt pads that dynamically adjust to shaft movements and enabling uptower pad replacement.
• TruTech
• Hiperax
• Hidrax HT
• ISFD (Integral Squeeze Film Damper)
• Maxalign
• Flexure Pivot
• Bearings Plus

Products and services

• NordAlign Wind Turbine Main Shaft Bearing Fluid film bearing specifically engineered for wind turbine main shafts featuring tilt pads that dynamically adjust to radial and axial shaft movements, enabling uptower pad replacement without expensive jack-up vessels or cranes.
• Fluid Film Bearings Custom-engineered hydrodynamic fluid film bearings including journal (radial) bearings, thrust (axial) bearings, horizontal assemblies, and vertical assemblies for high-performing turbomachinery.
• Magnetic Bearing Systems Active magnetic bearing (AMB) systems including radial and axial magnetic bearings, auxiliary bearings, and position sensors for large turbomachinery and high-performing rotating equipment.
• Brush Seals Compliant brush sealing systems for reducing leakage gaps in rotating equipment in air, steam, or process gas applications, with up to 80% reduction in labyrinth leakage.
• AMB Controllers (Zephyr, Chinook, Elephanta) Digital AMB controllers covering machinery from 1 MW to 80 MW power range: Zephyr (1-18 MW, 4- or 5-axis), Chinook (10-25 MW, 4- or 5-axis), and Elephanta (15-80 MW, 4- to 7-axis, four times more powerful than competition).
• Rotordynamic Analysis Services Comprehensive analysis services including torsional, axial, and lateral vibration analysis to validate original builds, diagnose problems, and propose optimized solutions for rotating equipment.
• Lab Services / Testing Services Product testing and development services including prototype validation, failure mode analysis, accelerated lifecycle testing, and regulatory compliance testing at the Dover Precision Components Innovation Lab.
• Bearings Plus Aftermarket Services Aftermarket arm of Waukesha Bearings providing expert repairs, replacements and upgrades for bearings and seals to extend equipment life and increase efficiency, including rotordynamic analysis and 24/7 operations support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.9% magnetic bearing availability without special redundancy provisions
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• FW MurphyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 April 2024Dover Precision Components acquired FW Murphy, a venerable company in the industry. Discussed in context of what comes next for Dover Precision Components.
• KMC, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2010Waukesha Bearings acquired KMC, Inc., a leader in the design, analysis and manufacturing of engineered fluid film bearings and seals, to expand product and service capabilities.
• Bearings Plus, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2010Waukesha Bearings acquired Bearings Plus, Inc., the aftermarket arm providing expert repairs, replacements and upgrades for bearings and seals. Operates with 24/7 technical support and rotordynamic analysis capabilities.
• Inpro/Seal CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 January 2010Waukesha Bearings acquired Inpro/Seal Company, the leading designer and manufacturer of bearing isolator technologies, effective December 30, 2009. Based in Rock Island, Illinois.
• VNIIEM (Russia)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 July 2007Long-term strategic alliance agreement between US-based Waukesha Bearings Corporation and Russian state-owned enterprise VNIIEM. Agreement extended Waukesha Bearings global presence in Russia.
• L.A. TurbinecoreTechnology or IntegrationL.A. Turbine commissioned first ARES AMB Turboexpander-Compressor featuring Waukesha Magnetic Bearings technology. Industry's first skid-mounted AMB controller and PLC design. Ongoing collaboration on turboexpander applications.
• Ansaldo EnergiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-authored technical paper 'A System Integration Approach for Heavy-Duty Gas Turbine Upgrades Using Improved Rotor Thrust Predictions and Application of Advanced Thrust Bearing Designs' presented at 62nd ASME Turbo Expo 2017.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SKF: Global leader in rolling element bearings, lubrication, and rotating equipment services with a massive catalog bearing portfolio serving industrial, automotive, and aerospace markets. While SKF's primary focus is ball and roller bearings, it overlaps with Waukesha in industrial bearing applications and offers competing solutions for turbomachinery rotating equipment.
• Schaeffler Group: Global manufacturer of rolling element and plain bearings (INA and FAG brands) serving automotive, industrial, and aerospace markets. Competes with Waukesha Bearings in industrial bearing applications and increasingly in electrified powertrain and high-speed rotating equipment applications.
• Timken: Engineered bearings and power transmission products manufacturer with strength in tapered roller bearings and gear drives for industrial and process industries. Competes with Waukesha in industrial bearing applications serving process industries, including gearboxes and rotating equipment that overlap with Waukesha's turbomachinery focus.
• Regal Rexnord: Manufacturer of power transmission and motion control products including bearings, gears, and couplings serving industrial markets. Through legacy brands like Rexnord, it competes with Waukesha in industrial bearing applications for pumps, compressors, and rotating equipment used in process industries.
• NSK: Japanese global manufacturer of ball and roller bearings serving automotive, industrial, and aerospace markets. Competes with Waukesha Bearings in industrial rotating equipment applications and offers overlapping product lines for pumps, compressors, and turbomachinery.
• JTEKT Corporation (Koyo): Japanese bearing manufacturer (Koyo brand) producing ball and roller bearings for automotive and industrial applications. Overlaps with Waukesha in industrial bearing applications for rotating equipment, including some turbomachinery categories.
• NTN Corporation: Japanese global bearing manufacturer serving automotive, industrial, and wind energy markets. Overlaps with Waukesha in industrial bearings and specifically competes in the wind turbine bearing category alongside Waukesha's NordAlign product line.
• Wärtsilä (Seals & Bearings): Finnish marine and energy technology company that supplies bearings and seals as part of its broader rotating equipment services portfolio for marine propulsion and power generation applications. Overlaps with Waukesha's marine and power generation vertical markets.

Direct peers

• Kingsbury Bearings: Specialized manufacturer of fluid film thrust bearings and bearing systems for turbines, compressors, and rotating equipment — a directly competing niche bearing specialist serving the same turbomachinery customers and applications as Waukesha Bearings.
• Michell Bearings: UK-based specialist manufacturer of fluid film bearings (journal and thrust) for large rotating machinery including marine propulsion, power generation turbines, and industrial applications. Directly competes with Waukesha in fluid film bearings for turbomachinery end markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waukesha-bearings-corporation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Waukesha Bearings