subject: History and Development of Timken Company [print this page] History and Development of Timken Company
In today's world, although a lot of bearing companies spring up, some of famous bearing companies are still the first choice of the customers. For example, FAG Company in Germany, SKF Company in Sweden and KOYO Company in Japan and so on. Except these famous bearing companies, the Timken Company in America is also quite important. Now, I would like to introduce something about this company.
Timken is a global manufacturer of bearings, alloy steels, and related components and assemblies. The company was founded by Henry Timken in St. Louis, Missouri in 1899 and incorporated as The Timken Roller Bearing Axle Company. Henry Timken is a carriage maker. He recognized that heavy freight wagons had a hard time making sharp turns. In order to solve this problem, he applied a tapered roller bearing design that could handle both radial and thrust loads. This application brought several customer benefits. First, the application ran more smoothly, reducing repair and replacement costs. Second, the bearings improved wagon performance so much that fewer mules were required to pull them. Finally, better cornering meant less chance of losing a load of goods. Considering the customer benefits, Henry quickly realized that the tapered roller bearing could improve product performance in many other applications as well. And then in 1898, Timken got a patent for the tapered roller bearing for which the company would become known. It is the tapered roller bearing that makes the company become successful.
In 1901, Timken moves from St. Louis to Canton, Ohio, and opens a bearing and axle plant; it is later renamed The Timken Roller Bearing Company. In 1917, Timken invests in steelmaking operations by opening its first steel plant in Canton, Ohio. The move ensures a reliable supply of steel for use in making Timken bearings at a time when the WWI effort is consuming most U.S-made steel. Then in the year 1919, Timken bearing applications expand more aggressively into non-automotive fields, such as mining and agriculture. With the principle of working with customers to solve problems, Timken Company developed rather quickly. Then in the year 2009, it named among "The 100 Most Trustworthy Companies" by Forbes magazine, which shows that the company is recognized by the whole world.
For more than 100 years, Timken has focused on value creation for diverse industries and market segments. The company delivers a variety of friction management and power transmission solutions for different applications. Its portfolio includes a full line of products and services that reduce friction and transmit power, not to mention an endless offering of technical solutions that help customers design, protect and maintain their own products. It is no doubt that the fame of this company is known all over the world
Although Timken is a very famous company in the bearing field, solving customer problems is still at the core of its business. I think it is just the charm of the company. And guided by this principle, Timken will be developed more quickly.
