NSK's distributor recently announced that NSK has developed an integrated assembly-type bearing with a hub assembly bearing that is installed on both tire guards and vehicle bodies, featuring a highly reliable oil seal. It is reported that NSK plans to launch this product in the global market, targeting emerging countries primarily, aiming to achieve sales of 4 billion yen (approximately $0.51 billion) by 2016.

Hub assembly bearings are installed in vehicles near the ground, which are easily exposed to muddy and watery conditions. However, as they are crucial for supporting the vehicle's structure, they must possess high reliability.

To date, NSK has been expanding its business of high-sealing, water-resistant hub assembly bearings in global markets led by emerging nations. However, due to harsh road conditions in cold regions like Russia, there is also a high expectation for the bearings' mud resistance. The hub assembly bearings developed by NSK this time feature an added auxiliary lip on the oil seal, preventing mud from entering and obstructing the main sealing lip's movement. Their water resistance is 1.5 times that of previous products.

Additionally, the high-seal oil seal is the same size as previous products, allowing for the use of high-reliability seals without altering the dimensions of the hub-mounted bearings. Through computer analysis, the surface pressure distribution of the sealing lip has been optimized, even with the addition of auxiliary lips, effectively suppressing the increase in overall sliding friction of the oil seal. This measure achieves the same friction as the previous hub-mounted bearings.