This proved to be the tip of the iceberg and in 2007 the bearing manufacturers INA-FAG & SKF were involved in joint operation which lead to the seizure of fake bearings with a estimated value of 8 million Euros! And weighing over 40 tonnes!

These bearings (being destroyed in the pictures above) were not manufactured in the far east as expected, but in Germany. The German tool manufacturing body estimates that each year over 3,500 Industrial accidents are caused by such products.

Like all forgeries they are becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate from the originals as the counterfeiters become more sophisticated.

Please do your part by making sure your supplier is an “authorised Distributor” because paying that extra couple of per cent can save you a whole lot more!!