SKF Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. today announced the launch of the first railway remanufacturing service centre to address the maintenance and service needs of growing railway sector in Southeast Asia and help them capitalise on the benefits of the circular economy. Located at the Nilai factory in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, the centre will provide remanufacturing services for tapered roller bearing units (TBUs) and cylindrical roller units (CRUs) for passenger and freight trains.
Manish Bhatnagar, President, SKF Industrial Region India & Southeast Asia, commented, "Railway operators are increasingly seeking sustainable solutions for their equipment operations, maintenance and repair. SKF's expertise in remanufacturing bearings according to SKF standards, with significant environmental benefits, cost and lead-time savings, positions us strongly to address the requirements of the burgeoning railway sector in the Southeast Asia region."
"The railway remanufacturing centre also underlines our commitment to driving intelligent and clean growth by bringing products and solutions that are part of a circular economy."
Remanufacturing is an important part of the circular economy as it offers a more environmentally friendly approach while delivering significant cost benefits to customers. A remanufactured bearing provides cost savings of up to 55% compared to new bearings. Depending on the amount of remanufacturing required, a remanufactured bearing reduces the carbon footprint by up to 90% compared to a new one. Remanufacturing also consumes up to 90% less energy, requires fewer resources, and produces less waste than producing a new bearing. There is also no compromise on reliability for the remanufactured bearings as SKF uses the same standards, quality assurance, knowledge, and competences as for the manufacture of new bearings.
"This new railway remanufacturing centre affirms our commitment to expand our presence and contribute to Malaysia's economic growth. This centre enables us to play an active role in accelerating the sustainable development of the railway sector and contributing to the transformation of the country's transport landscape and ecosystem which is one of the main focuses of the government agenda as outlined in its 12th Malaysia Plan 2021 – 2025. We look forward to collaborating with railway industry partners to continue the transition to a circular economy." said Hernán Bourbotte, Country Manager of SKF Malaysia.
SKF has built up a global network of 20 railway service centres with around 220,000 wheelset bearings reconditioned each year. The demand for railway remanufacturing services is growing rapidly, and it is expected that the business will grow by 50 percent by 2023.