GRW Bearing GmbH

What GRW Bearing GmbH does

GRW Bearing GmbH (legally Gebr. Reinfurt GmbH & Co. KG) is a German manufacturer of miniature and high-precision ball bearings, headquartered in Rimpar, Germany, with a second production and assembly site in Prachatice, Czech Republic (REINFURT-ČR, k.s.). The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the US-listed industrial conglomerate Kaman Corporation (NASDAQ: KAMN), which provides financial backing and distribution reach. GRW sells customized and standard bearing solutions — including radial deep groove bearings, spindle ball bearings, duplex and axial bearings, special bearings, pre-assembled bearing units, and accessories such as wave spring washers and retaining rings — plus specialized testing technology such as dental test benches. Its products are engineered for extreme operating conditions, with stated capability from −270 °C to +450 °C, speeds up to 500,000 min⁻¹, corrosion resistance, radiation tolerance, and dry-lubrication for vacuum environments.

The company serves three primary verticals: healthcare/medical technology (dental handpieces, surgical instruments), aerospace and defense (civil aviation, space, turbomolecular pumps, jet engines), and industrial manufacturing (machine tools, spindles, e-motors, robotics and automation, vacuum technology, automotive, pharmaceutical and food processing). GRW operates dedicated vertical sales teams — Salesteam Healthcare, Salesteam Aerospace and Salesteam Industry — supported by sales offices in Germany, the United States (Bloomfield, CT, at Kaman headquarters), the United Kingdom and Singapore, and a network of distributors across roughly 19 countries. Revenue is generated via quote-based B2B hardware sales of customized and standard components; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company holds EN 9100:2018 aerospace certification and employs approximately 600 staff, with R&D supported by dual-study partnerships with FHWS Würzburg-Schweinfurt and FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg.

GRW's go-to-market is classic enterprise field sales combined with channel distribution, complemented by technical content marketing (multilingual website, whitepapers, trade-fair participation) and direct inquiry capture. In December 2023 GRW announced a reorganization of sales, R&D and business development; in 2024 the company achieved EN 9100:2018 certification and received the KAMAN Innovation Award from its parent, and it plans to launch the Q21 premium ball bearing line in 2026. Approximately 1,000 long-term customers and partners rely on GRW products globally.

Name

GRW Bearing GmbH

Legal name

Gebr. Reinfurt GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://grw.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GRW Bearing GmbH is a German manufacturer of miniature and high-precision ball bearings, headquartered in Rimpar and operating as a subsidiary of Kaman Corporation. It serves healthcare, aerospace, and industrial customers with customized bearing solutions engineered for extreme temperatures, high speeds, and corrosive or vacuum environments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Ball Bearings

NAICS

Ball and Roller Bearing Manufacturing (332991)

SIC

Ball & Roller Bearings (3562)

akta.pro primary industry

Aerospace Bearings, Bushings & Motion Components (IMABANAB)

Keywords

• Miniature ball bearings
• Precision bearings manufacturing
• Spindle ball bearings
• Custom bearing solutions
• Aerospace medical bearings

Headquarters

HQ city

Rimpar

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ball Bearing Products: Customized and standard ball bearings including miniature ball bearings, spindle ball bearings, radial deep groove ball bearings, duplex bearings, axial bearings, special ball bearings, and bearing units. Revenue generated from product sales to industrial, healthcare, and aerospace customers.
2. Ball Bearing Accessories: Spacer shims, wave spring washers, and retaining rings that complement ball bearing installations
3. Testing Technology: Specialized testing equipment such as dental test benches for measuring high-speed instrument rotation

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GRW designs, manufactures, and supplies customized and standard miniature and high-precision ball bearings—including radial deep groove, spindle, duplex, axial, special, and pre-assembled bearing units—together with ball bearing accessories and specialized testing technology such as dental test benches. Products are tailored for medical technology, aerospace/defense, and industrial applications, often operating under extreme temperatures, high speeds, vacuum, or corrosive conditions.

Product overview

GRW Bearing GmbH (Gebr. Reinfurt GmbH & Co. KG) is a manufacturer of miniature and high-precision ball bearings, offering both standardized and customized solutions. The product portfolio centers on ball bearings (including radial deep groove, spindle, duplex, axial, special, and pre-assembled units) complemented by testing technology equipment (such as dental test benches) and ball bearing accessories (shims, wave washers, retaining rings). The company serves three primary sectors: healthcare (medical instruments, dental applications), aerospace (civil aviation, space technology, defense), and industry (machine tools, e-motors, vacuum technology, robotics, automotive, pharmaceuticals, food processing, packaging). Products are designed to operate in extreme conditions including temperatures from -454°F to +842°F, high speeds up to 500,000 min⁻¹, and corrosive environments. GRW operates manufacturing in Germany (Rimpar) and assembly in Czech Republic (Prachatice), with sales offices in Germany, USA, UK, and Singapore.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ball Bearings Miniature and high-precision ball bearings in multiple configurations (radial deep groove, spindle, duplex, axial, special) for healthcare, aerospace, and industrial customers.
• Radial Deep Groove Ball Bearings Versatile single-row ball bearings in open, covered, and sealed forms for machine tools, measuring instruments, and spindles, with radial and axial load capacity.
• Spindle Ball Bearings Angular contact ball bearings with P4+ accuracy class and 15° or 25° contact angles, designed for high speeds and high load capacity in spindle applications.
• Duplex Bearings Paired ball bearings providing precise radial and axial positioning with enhanced load capacity, offered in O-arrangement, X-arrangement, and tandem configurations.
• Axial Ball Bearings Thrust ball bearings that withstand forces along the longitudinal axis, made from stainless or martensitic bearing steel for thrust load applications.
• Special Ball Bearings Custom-designed ball bearings for extreme temperatures, corrosive environments, and chemical contact, including super duplex, extra duplex, tandem duplex, integrated shaft designs, and custom geometries.
• Ball Bearing Units Pre-assembled bearing units combining one or more bearings with shaft/housing, spacing rings, and shims or wave spring washers, bonded under axial preload for zero-clearance installation.
• Ball Bearing Accessories Supporting components for bearing installation including stainless-steel spacer shims, wave spring washers, and cold-drawn spring-wire retaining rings for accurate positioning and retention.
• Testing Technology Specialized testing equipment including dental test benches for measuring rotation of high-speed instruments, enabling performance measurement under real conditions.
• Laboratory Services Analysis and testing services provided by GRW's laboratory for bearing performance evaluation and quality assurance.
• Q21 Ball Bearings Premium ball bearing product line with enhanced performance specifications, positioned as a new product release.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ball bearings capable of operating at temperatures from -270°C to +450°C
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KAMAN Specialty Bearings GmbH (UK)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales location in the United Kingdom under the Kaman Specialty Bearings umbrella, managed by Nick Dowding, Global Director Special Applications
• KAMAN Specialty Bearings Pte. Ltd. (Singapore)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales office in Singapore for the Asia Pacific region, managed by Nick Wheeler, Sales Manager Asia Pacific
• High Precision Bearings LP (USA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales location in the United States at Kaman Corporation's headquarters in Bloomfield, Connecticut
• REINFURT-ČR, k.s. (Czech Republic)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAssembly and manufacturing location in Prachatice, Czech Republic. 25 years of assembly activities at this site since spring 2021.
• Josef Blässinger GmbH + Co. KGcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAwarded as GRW Dealer of the Year 2023. Major distributor in Germany/Austria region.
• FHWS Würzburg-SchweinfurtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt - partner for dual study program in mechanical engineering
• Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAU Erlangen-Nürnberg - partner university for dual study program in mechanical engineering
• Wölfe Würzburg HandballminorOthersLocal handball team sponsorship - GRW is Business-Partner sponsor. Supports player Dominik Schömig.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RBC Bearings Incorporated: US-based precision bearings specialist serving aerospace, defense, and industrial customers with engineered bearing solutions. Highly comparable to GRW in aerospace and specialty bearing focus.
• NTN Corporation: Japanese bearing manufacturer producing precision, aerospace, and specialty bearings. Direct competitor in machine tool, aerospace, and high-precision industrial bearing categories where GRW operates.
• Timken Company: US-based precision bearings, gears, and motion components manufacturer serving aerospace, defense, and industrial markets. Direct competitor in engineered bearings for aerospace and high-precision applications.
• Nachi-Fujikoshi Corp. Japanese bearings manufacturer producing precision ball bearings for machine tools, automotive, and industrial uses. Comparable in precision and specialty bearing categories.
• MinebeaMitsumi Inc. Japanese miniature and high-precision bearing specialist, perhaps the closest direct peer to GRW given its focus on miniature bearings for aerospace, medical, and industrial applications. Competes directly in miniature ball bearing categories.
• JTEKT Corporation (Koyo): Japanese bearing and steering manufacturer producing precision bearings including the Koyo brand. Comparable in machine tool spindle bearings and high-precision industrial applications.
• NSK Ltd. Japanese global bearing manufacturer with strong precision bearing offerings for machine tools, aerospace, and medical applications. Comparable product portfolio and target verticals to GRW, including high-precision spindle bearings.

Broad incumbents

• Schaeffler Group (INA/FAG): German bearing and motion technology specialist with INA/FAG brands producing precision bearings for aerospace, medical, and industrial customers. Directly comparable in precision and aerospace bearing categories, but operates at much larger scale.
• SKF Group: Swedish global bearings leader serving automotive, industrial, and aerospace with a broad portfolio including precision and specialty bearings. Comparable to GRW in precision bearing categories but vastly larger and more diversified.

Emerging players

• C&U Bearing: Chinese bearing manufacturer producing precision and miniature bearings at competitive pricing for industrial and emerging applications. An emerging competitor in commodity-adjacent precision categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ksb_engineered
• Facebookfacebook.com/kamanspecialtybearings
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kaman-speciality-bearings-and-engineered-products

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about GRW Bearing GmbH