SKF has opened a “Solution Factory” at its UK headquarters in Luton, designed to unite its service and product offerings. The Factory is one of a series being rolled out globally to provide customers with an integrated suite of facilities to help them improve their business processes, while enhancing their productivity and profitability.

The first SKF Solution Factory was opened in Shanghai in 2008, and since then others have opened in China, Taiwan, India, South Africa, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Brazil, the US and France.

The Luton Factory (above) is based on SKF’s existing engineering, project management and analytical services, supported by specialist production resources at its manufacturing and technical centres around the world.

“In the past, SKF has been seen as a specialised manufacturer of high-quality products, such as bearings, seals, lubrication systems, condition monitoring and linear motion devices,” explains Michael Crean, director of SKF’s UK service division. “More recently, we have introduced a range of value-added services that help engineers extend the performance and functionality of these products.

“The global SKF Solution Factory programme is a vital element in our long-term strategy,” he adds, “as it repositions our business as a key provider of knowledge engineering to customers at all levels. Just as importantly, it enables us to partner with customers to develop unique solutions that deliver tangible commercial benefits from both existing and newly emerging technologies.”