Durbal Metallwarenfabrik GmbH

What Durbal Metallwarenfabrik GmbH does

DURBAL Metallwarenfabrik GmbH is a German precision manufacturer of heavy-duty rod ends (Gelenkköpfe) and spherical plain bearings (Gelenklager), headquartered and produced at a single site in Öhringen, Baden-Württemberg, since 1959. The brand was established in 1979 as a spin-off from SCHLEGEL KG, and traces its origins to 1938 aviation rod-end development. The company operates a three-tier product architecture — Premium Line (antifriction bearing products with 100% radial clearance control, in sizes 35-40 unique worldwide for roller/ball variants), Classic Line (sliding bearing products featuring proprietary DURBAL-Glide PTFE/glass-fibre compound), and Basic Line (standard cost-effective products) — alongside custom-made products, hydraulic rod ends, modular linkages systems, and the proprietary DURBAL-Coat chromium(VI)-free zinc-nickel coating. The portfolio comprises ~2,200 standard catalogue articles, with annual production of ~500,000 finished parts and product diameters from 5mm to 70mm.

The business generates revenue exclusively through hardware sales of rod ends and spherical plain bearings, with no pricing or unit economics publicly disclosed. Distribution is multi-channel: direct sales via Rollon field sales managers, the BearingNet dealer network for stock visibility, and the myRollon digital platform for configuration. DURBAL holds EN 9100:2018 (aerospace/defence), ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, REACH, and RoHS certifications, and serves at least 16 vertical end-markets — aerospace, automotive, railway, medical, pharmaceutical, food processing, packaging, motorsport, automation & robotics, hydraulics, pneumatics, ship & crane, agricultural, renewable energy, conveyor & logistics, and general mechanical engineering. The company is recognised as a trained apprentice company by IHK-Heilbronn.

DURBAL was acquired by the Nadella Group in 2014 and became a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Timken Company in 2023 when Timken acquired the Nadella multi-brand portfolio (which also included Nadella, Chiavette Unificate, Shuton-Ipiranga, and Rosa Sistemi). It now operates within Timken's Industrial Motion division under the Rollon brand, marketing its products through the Rollon global sales organisation. The legal entity is a German GmbH headquartered in Öhringen; management comprises Managing Directors Andreas Röllgen and Rüdiger Knevels, supported by an internal sales manager, sales staff, and export staff.

Name

Durbal Metallwarenfabrik GmbH

Legal name

DURBAL Metallwarenfabrik GmbH

Website

https://durbal.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DURBAL is a German precision manufacturer of heavy-duty rod ends and spherical plain bearings, serving aerospace, automotive, medical, food, and industrial customers from its Öhringen site as part of Timken's Rollon Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rod Ends and Spherical Plain Bearings

NAICS

Ball and Roller Bearing Manufacturing (332991)

SIC

Ball & Roller Bearings (3562)

akta.pro primary industry

Aerospace Bearings, Bushings & Motion Components (IMABANAB)

Keywords

• Rod ends bearings
• Spherical plain bearings
• Heavy-duty mechanical components
• Precision motion components
• Industrial linkage systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Öhringen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Heavy-duty rod ends and spherical plain bearings: DURBAL generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of heavy-duty rod ends and spherical plain bearings across three product lines (Premium, Classic, Basic). Products are sold through direct sales, dealer networks, and the Rollon sales organization.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Durbal Metallwarenfabrik GmbH manufactures heavy-duty rod ends and spherical plain bearings across three product tiers — Premium Line (antifriction bearings with roller/ball bearings and 100% radial clearance control), Classic Line (sliding bearings using proprietary DURBAL-Glide technology), and Basic Line (standard sliding bearings). The portfolio also includes hydraulic rod ends, modular linkage systems, custom-made products, the DURBAL-Coat corrosion protection coating, and high-performance grease/lubrication accessories, with approximately 2,200 catalogue articles and 500,000 finished parts produced annually at the Öhringen site.

Product overview

Durbal Metallwarenfabrik GmbH is a German manufacturer of high-precision mechanical components specializing in rod ends (Gelenkköpfe) and spherical plain bearings (Gelenklager). The company operates a three-tier product line architecture: the Premium Line offers high-performance antifriction bearing (roller/ball) products with 100% radial clearance control for demanding applications; the Classic Line provides sliding bearing products with DURBAL-Glide technology in both maintenance-free and maintenance-required variants; and the Basic Line delivers cost-effective standard products for general industrial use. All three lines are available in metric and inch sizes, standard and stainless steel materials. The portfolio includes rod ends, spherical plain bearings, hydraulic rod ends, linkages (modular system solutions), and custom-made products. The company produces approximately 2,200 standard catalog articles and 500,000 finished parts annually, serving industries including aerospace, automotive, railway, packaging, food processing, medical engineering, and renewable energies. Since 2018, DURBAL has been part of the Rollon Group, which belongs to The Timken Company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DURBAL Premium Line: Heavy-duty rod ends and spherical plain bearings with integrated self-aligning roller or ball bearings. Low maintenance products with 100% radial clearance control.
• DURBAL Classic Line
• DURBAL Basic Line
• DURBAL-Coat

Products and services

• Rod Ends with Rollers or Balls Heavy-duty rod ends with integrated self-aligning roller or ball bearings, featuring 100% radial clearance control (10-30 µm standard). Available in Series K, special versions, and inch sizes for high-speed, high-load, large-swivel-angle applications. Targeted at aerospace, automotive, motorsport, and industrial machinery OEMs.
• Rod Ends, Maintenance-Free Heavy-duty rod ends with DURBAL-Glide glass-fibre-reinforced PTFE sliding bearing race for maintenance-free operation. Available across Premium, Classic and Basic Lines in steel, stainless steel, and aluminium variants. Designed for low swivelling movements under high load, with foreign-particle absorption.
• Rod Ends, Maintenance-Required Heavy-duty rod ends with pressed spherical plain bearings requiring periodic lubrication. Available in Premium, Classic and Basic Lines, Series K and E/EH. Designed for alternating stresses, impact loads, and large swivelling movements in hydraulics, pneumatics, and mechanical engineering.
• Hydraulic Rod Ends Maintenance-required hydraulic rod ends fitted with female threads for hydraulic cylinders and welding studs. Available in Premium and Basic Lines. Engineered for especially high forces in cranes, excavators, and construction machinery. Conforms to DIN ISO 8139.
• Spherical Plain Bearings with Rollers or Balls Heavy-duty spherical plain bearings with integral self-aligning roller or ball bearings. Premium Line exclusive in sizes 35 and 40 with both roller and ball bearings. Low-maintenance design for high-speed and high-load applications, with covering discs to prevent dirt penetration.
• Spherical Plain Bearings, Maintenance-Free Maintenance-free heavy-duty spherical plain bearings with injected DURBAL-Glide PTFE bearing race for practically zero clearance. Available in Premium, Classic, and Basic Lines, Series K, E, G and C; stainless steel variants available for food and pharmaceutical applications.
• Spherical Plain Bearings, Maintenance-Required Standardised heavy-duty spherical plain bearings per DIN ISO 12240-1, -2, -3, available in series K, E, G, W, C and inches. Require periodic lubrication. Available in Premium, Classic, and Basic Lines.
• Linkages (Systems) Heavy-duty modular linkage systems combining rod ends, spherical plain bearings, clevises, and angle joints. Available in steel, stainless steel, aluminium, and DURBAL-Coat finishes. Used extensively in railway technology and other industries.
• Custom-Made Products Customer-specific special products manufactured to individual drawings from Premium, Classic, and Basic Lines. Includes special spherical plain bearings and rod ends engineered to satisfy custom bearing gap and friction torque requirements for demanding applications such as aerospace and medical engineering.
• DURBAL-Coat Surface Treatment Multi-stage corrosion protection surface treatment combining electrodeposited zinc-nickel layer with passivation and an organic topcoat with aluminium flakes. Chromium(VI)-free, temperature-resistant, and delivering 720 hours without red rust per DIN EN ISO 9227. Applied to Classic Line BEM/BEF/EM/EF maintenance-free rod ends.
• DURBAL Grease & Grease Nipples Klübersynth UH1 14-151 high-performance grease, NSF-H1 registered (056354) for food-industry compatibility, service temperature range -45°C to +120°C, with good corrosion protection and pumpability in central lubrication systems. Supplemented by standard and special-size grease nipples in zinc-plated and stainless steel versions.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~500,000 finished parts produced per annum
• +3 more outcomes

Segments16 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chiavette UnificatecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Both DURBAL and Chiavette Unificate, each with over 70 years of expertise in rod ends, spherical bearings, linkages, and angular/axial joints, became part of Rollon by Timken in 2023. Their collaborative efforts resulted in the broadest product portfolio, accessible through the expanded product database.
• Rollon (Part of Timken)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Since 2018, Rollon has been part of Timken Company, representing the linear motion solutions area within the Industrial Motion division. DURBAL products are integrated into Rollon's comprehensive product portfolio alongside linear guides, telescopic rails, linear axes, and ball screws.
• BearingNetminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDURBAL is a member of BearingNet, a dealer network that provides authorized dealers with access to DURBAL's stock levels, which are updated daily. This enables dealers to check article availability independently.
• DPD Germany GmbHminorOthersDPD Germany GmbH serves as DURBAL's shipping partner for dispatch processing. DURBAL transmits customer data (name, address, email, mobile phone) to DPD for shipment delivery.
• Nadella GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDURBAL was acquired by the Nadella Group in 2014. The Nadella Group also owned Chiavette Unificate, Shuton-Ipiranga, and Rosa Sistemi. The group was subsequently acquired by Timken in 2023.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NTN-SNR: Global bearing manufacturer with strong European (SNR) presence producing spherical plain bearings and rod ends. Comparable because NTN-SNR serves overlapping automotive, industrial, and aerospace segments with similar product categories.
• SKF: World's largest bearing manufacturer with a comprehensive portfolio of rolling bearings, spherical plain bearings, and rod ends. Comparable because SKF is a top-tier competitor in the same bearing categories Durbal serves, although at vastly larger scale and across many product lines.
• Schaeffler Group (INA/FAG): Major German bearing manufacturer offering spherical plain bearings, rod ends, and plain bearings under the INA brand. Comparable because it directly competes with Durbal in rod ends and spherical plain bearings with similar engineering-grade product positioning in European industrial markets.
• NSK: Japanese bearing manufacturer with global presence in rolling element and plain bearings, including rod ends for industrial and aerospace applications. Comparable because NSK competes with Durbal in precision bearings and serves similar high-spec industrial customers.
• Timken: Parent company of Durbal since 2023 and a major manufacturer of bearings, gear drives, and chain. Comparable because Timken's broader bearings and power transmission portfolio overlaps with Durbal's rod ends and spherical plain bearings, particularly in industrial and aerospace markets.

Emerging players

• igus: German manufacturer of polymer/plain bearings and energy chains. Comparable because igus competes in the maintenance-free, polymer-based spherical bearing space, sharing the food-grade and lubrication-free value proposition with Durbal's Classic Line.

Direct peers

• Aurora Bearing: North American manufacturer specializing in rod ends and spherical bearings. Comparable because Aurora is a focused specialist in the same niche product categories as Durbal, serving aerospace, military, and industrial customers with similar engineering-grade requirements.
• Nadella: Italian manufacturer of linear guides, ball screws, and rod ends, historically part of the same Nadella Group as Durbal before the Timken acquisition. Comparable because Nadella offers overlapping rod-end and spherical bearing products for industrial and machine tool applications.
• QA1: Manufacturer of rod ends, spherical bearings, and suspension components serving motorsport and industrial markets. Comparable because QA1 overlaps with Durbal's motorsport and custom linkages offerings, particularly in high-performance aluminum rod ends.
• RBC Bearings (Heim/Nyloil/Spherco): US-based specialty bearing manufacturer with strong rod end and spherical bearing portfolio (Heim Bearings, Spherco). Comparable because RBC is one of the closest direct competitors to Durbal in heavy-duty rod ends and spherical plain bearings for aerospace and industrial markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/durbal-metallwarenfabrik-gmbh

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Durbal Metallwarenfabrik GmbH