How can a bearing maker cut energy losses by up to 15%?
A materials and design upgrade for NBC Bearings' 6205 bearing, widely used in electric vehicles, with costs, a break-even case and a rollout plan.
Key findings
- A MoS₂/Ti coating cut the calculated friction moment by 6.4%
- A hybrid ceramic design lost 12.5% less power in ANSYS simulation
- Ceramic balls in 3 of 9 positions keep most of the gain at 60–70% less cost than a full set
An independent proposal, written in response to a competition brief. The organisation it addresses did not commission this work, and we do not suggest it has acted on our recommendations.
The challenge
Friction, lubricant drag and heat waste energy in every bearing and wear it out faster: a 10°C rise in operating temperature can double the wear rate. NBC Bearings, part of the CK Birla Group, asked how to make its bearings more efficient and durable, especially for electric vehicles.
Our approach
We broke down where a bearing loses energy, part by part: the rolling elements, races, cage, lubricant and seals. We focused on the 6205 deep groove ball bearing, one of the most common in EVs. Then we compared materials, cage designs and coatings, calculated the friction moment with and without a coating, and ran finite element analysis in ANSYS on all-steel, hybrid and all-ceramic designs.
How we found the answer
In our simulation, all-ceramic bearings cut power loss by half, but they are expensive and brittle. The answer was a partial hybrid: replace 3 of the 9 steel balls with silicon nitride ones, placed symmetrically, in a custom dual-pocket PEEK cage that allows for the different weight and stiffness of the two kinds of ball.
Coatings and lubricants were then matched to the job: MoS₂ for high speeds, TiC for heavy loads.
What we proposed
- Nanoparticle additives in the lubricant to cut friction and wear.
- Hybrid ceramic (Si₃N₄) balls, with tungsten carbide for extreme loads.
- A self-lubricating, dual-pocket PEEK cage designed for mixed steel and ceramic balls.
- MoS₂/Ti coatings for high-speed bearings and TiC for heavy-load ones.
- An optimised raceway curvature and textured surfaces.
- A six-phase rollout, from design validation to a pilot batch of 500–1,000 bearings and production launch.
Potential impact
The analysis projects energy savings of up to 15% and longer bearing life. An upgraded bearing would cost ₹830–1,150 to make, against ₹400–500 today. Sold at ₹1,380–1,610, a first year of 10,000 bearings would bring in ₹23–46 lakh in gross profit.
Modelled in our analysis. These are estimates, not results measured in operation.
Recognition
The full strategy
16 pages, view only. Every page carries the reader's email address as a watermark.
Sign in to read the full strategy
Our decks are shared with readers who sign in with Google. Every page you open carries your email address as a watermark.
When you sign in we record your name and email address (from Google), which deck you open and when, your approximate city and country, and your browser and device. Privacy policy
More of our work
Case studies and other strategy proposals.
Why is NIT Raipur's NIRF rank falling and what would bring it back within three years?
NIT Raipur fell from 64th to 86th in NIRF Engineering between 2021 and 2025, although its score rose. We traced the lost ground to six fixable causes and found seven measures, each already working at a peer NIT worth about 4.2 points.
How can Chhattisgarh’s 3,000 rice mills stay profitable when the paddy runs out mid-year?
Chhattisgarh’s 3,000 rice mills sit at the centre of India’s rice supply, yet earn about ₹500 a tonne, wait months to be paid and run short of paddy by mid-year. We traced where the strain comes from, using public data.
Coffee costs are up 50 to 60%. How can a growing café chain stay profitable while opening about 120 new cafés a year?
Leading Coffee Chain
Get in touch
Tell us what you’re deciding and by when. We’ll reply with a few questions or a time to talk.