Barden Corporation
Encyclopedia
Barden Corporation is a ball bearing manufacturer based in Danbury
, Connecticut
, USA with factories in Danbury, Winsted
, Connecticut and in Plymouth
, England
. It previously had factories in Bridgeport
, Connecticut (Lacey Manufacturing-divested in 2008) and Haverhill
, Massachusetts (Pope Spindle-divested in 2003).
Barden specializes in the design, manufacture, repair and overhaul of aerospace and super precision ball bearings for safety-critical and harsh environment applications in a broad range of market sectors, from space to aerospace to subsea to high performance machine tools to medical and high performance automotive applications.
(hence the name "Bar-den") in 1942 to make precision ball bearings for the Norden bombsight
. The Norden bombsight required 61 precision miniature and instrument type bearings. Prior to the US entry into World War II, bombsight production levels were planned to be 800 per month; however after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, production was ramped up and reached roughly 2000 units per month by the close of 1943. The precision level of the bearings required for the bombsight to operate was not available in the domestic bearing industry, driving the creation of Barden. Even during the Cold War
, Barden bearings would continue to be used on key weapon systems and platforms.
During various growth spurts, Barden Corporation acquired companies that supported the Barden bearing manufacturing business. These included companies like EMO (later renamed Barden UK-allowed entry into the European Market), Winsted Precision Ball Company (bearing rolling elements), Pope Spindle (precision bearings supported machine tools), Lacey Manufacturing(rolling element retainer/cages and other bearing components), and American Powdered Metals of North Haven
, Connecticut.
After severe flooding in the Danbury area in the 1950s, Barden Corporation was re-located from downtown Danbury on East Franklin Street in what had previously been a hat factory to its current location overlooking the Danbury Airport.
, which specializes in bearing technologies and precision products for aerospace, industrial plant and automotive industries. Schaeffler is headquartered in Herzogenaurach
, Germany, and oversees three main brands: FAG, INA and LUK. The group has approximately 61,000 employees at more than 180 locations worldwide, recording consolidated sales of approximately $10 bn for 2009.
, Germany.
product. The company relocated to Plymouth
on the South West coast of England in 1966 before being purchased by FAG in 1991.
operate and facilitated destruction of the Schweinfurt bearing factories during World War II. In 2001, FAG was acquired INA-Holdings/Schaeffler KG (Schaeffler Gruppe). FAG is an acronym for Friedrich Fischer Aktien-Gesellschaft or Fischer AG which translates to Fischer Stock Company.
Freidrich Fischer invented the ball grinding machine 1883 for mass production of steel balls that allowed for broad use of ball bearings. FAG was trademarked in 1905.
support bearings, cylindrical roller bearings and double direction angular contact thrust ball bearings.
Barden super precision bearings come in inch or metric dimensions with diameters ranging from 3/8" (9.5mm) O.D. up to 15 3/4" (400mm) O.D. A variety of seals, shields and metallic/nonmetallic cage designs and calibration options are available to satisfy most precision bearing requirements.
Because of the precision levels and applications that Barden Precision Bearings are used in, availability is limited because of US EAR, DFARS and ITAR regulations, with many of the bearing products coming under the US Munitions Listings. Additionally, international players of dubious motivations frequently attempt to bypass export restrictions by utilizing unsuspecting distributors of bearings who become unwitting accomplices in violation of export laws.
Because of the value and availability of Barden bearings, counterfeiting is not an uncommon occurrence. Although the counterfeit product may be difficult to identify in packaging or in appearance, once placed in the application, because of the low precision of the counterfeit product, performance issues usually surface with the application. The performance usually gives away and readily identifies the counterfeit bearing.
Danbury
Danbury is a city in Connecticut, U.S.Danbury may also refer to:*Danbury, Saskatchewan, Canada*Danbury, Essex, UK*Danbury, Iowa, U.S.*Danbury, Nebraska, U.S.*Danbury, New Hampshire, U.S.*Danbury, North Carolina, U.S.*Danbury, Texas, U.S....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, USA with factories in Danbury, Winsted
Winsted
Winsted may refer to a location in the United States:* Winsted, Connecticut* Winsted , a home on the National Register of Historic Places* Winsted, Minnesota...
, Connecticut and in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It previously had factories in Bridgeport
Bridgeport
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut.Bridgeport may also refer to:-Places:In Canada:* Bridgeport, Nova ScotiaIn the United States:* Bridgeport, Alabama* Bridgeport, California, in Mono County...
, Connecticut (Lacey Manufacturing-divested in 2008) and Haverhill
Haverhill, Massachusetts
Haverhill is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 60,879 at the 2010 census.Located on the Merrimack River, it began as a farming community that would evolve into an important industrial center, beginning with sawmills and gristmills run by water power. In the...
, Massachusetts (Pope Spindle-divested in 2003).
Barden specializes in the design, manufacture, repair and overhaul of aerospace and super precision ball bearings for safety-critical and harsh environment applications in a broad range of market sectors, from space to aerospace to subsea to high performance machine tools to medical and high performance automotive applications.
History
Barden was founded by Theodore Barth and Carl NordenCarl Norden
Carl Lucas Norden , born Carel Lucas van Norden, was an American engineer widely known for having invented the Norden bombsight....
(hence the name "Bar-den") in 1942 to make precision ball bearings for the Norden bombsight
Norden bombsight
The Norden bombsight was a tachometric bombsight used by the United States Army Air Forces and the United States Navy during World War II, and the United States Air Force in the Korean and the Vietnam Wars to aid the crew of bomber aircraft in dropping bombs accurately...
. The Norden bombsight required 61 precision miniature and instrument type bearings. Prior to the US entry into World War II, bombsight production levels were planned to be 800 per month; however after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, production was ramped up and reached roughly 2000 units per month by the close of 1943. The precision level of the bearings required for the bombsight to operate was not available in the domestic bearing industry, driving the creation of Barden. Even during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, Barden bearings would continue to be used on key weapon systems and platforms.
During various growth spurts, Barden Corporation acquired companies that supported the Barden bearing manufacturing business. These included companies like EMO (later renamed Barden UK-allowed entry into the European Market), Winsted Precision Ball Company (bearing rolling elements), Pope Spindle (precision bearings supported machine tools), Lacey Manufacturing(rolling element retainer/cages and other bearing components), and American Powdered Metals of North Haven
North Haven
North Haven may refer to:Places in United Kingdom:* North Haven, Shetland, an inlet on the east of Fair IslePlaces in Australia:* North Haven, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide* North Haven, New South Wales, a small town near Port Macquarie...
, Connecticut.
After severe flooding in the Danbury area in the 1950s, Barden Corporation was re-located from downtown Danbury on East Franklin Street in what had previously been a hat factory to its current location overlooking the Danbury Airport.
Corporate structure
Barden is a member of the multinational Schaeffler GroupSchaeffler Group
The Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG is a privately owned major manufacturer of rolling element bearings for automotive, aerospace and industrial uses. In August 2008 the firm agreed to a staggered €12 billion acquisition of larger rival Continental AG, whereby Schaeffler will defer taking a...
, which specializes in bearing technologies and precision products for aerospace, industrial plant and automotive industries. Schaeffler is headquartered in Herzogenaurach
Herzogenaurach
Herzogenaurach is a town in the district of Erlangen-Höchstadt, in Bavaria, Germany. It is probably best known for being the home of the sporting goods companies Adidas and Puma.-Geography:...
, Germany, and oversees three main brands: FAG, INA and LUK. The group has approximately 61,000 employees at more than 180 locations worldwide, recording consolidated sales of approximately $10 bn for 2009.
Barden Corporation
The Barden headquarters is located approximately sixty miles from New York City and is the home office of the CEO of Schaeffler Aerospace. Barden Corporation resides in the North American organizational region of Schaeffler Group and is organized under Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG. The Schaeffler Aerospace division also includes FAG Aerospace, Incorporated, of Stratford, Ontario and FAG Aerospace GmbH of SchweinfurtSchweinfurt
Schweinfurt is a city in the Lower Franconia region of Bavaria in Germany on the right bank of the canalized Main, which is here spanned by several bridges, 27 km northeast of Würzburg.- History :...
, Germany.
Barden UK
Barden UK started life in 1947 as EMO Instrumentation. The founders, Bill Spencer and Stan Hensby, had several years of experience working in the Sperry Brentford gyro factory, cultivating their expertise in precision instrument bearings. After years of expansion, The Barden Corporation (US) purchased EMO Instrumentation and established The Barden Corporation (UK) Ltd in 1961. An ironic twist to the purchase was that Barden was created to supply bearings for a competing bombsight (Norden) with the SperrySperry
-Persons:*Armstrong Sperry , American author and illustrator*Brett Sperry , American video game designer*Carlos A. Sperry, Democratic President of the West Virginia Senate from Greenbrier County, served 1872-1872...
product. The company relocated to Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
on the South West coast of England in 1966 before being purchased by FAG in 1991.
Winsted Precision Ball Company
In addition to the Danbury and Plymouth locations, Barden has a subsidiary in northwestern Connecticut, Winsted Precision Ball Company, a rolling element factory. The Winsted Precision Ball Company was founded in 1949 with the sole purpose of manufacturing high-precision balls for the use in miniature precision ball bearings. Acquired by Barden Corporation in the 1960s, WPBC is not a separate legal entity, but a department of the Barden Corporation’s Danbury location. Today, WPBC is one of the leading manufacturers of ABMA (American Bearing Manufacturers Association) Grade 3, 5, and 10 balls in the U.S.FAG Aerospace
Barden Corporation was acquired by FAG in 1990. The irony of the acquisition by FAG was that Barden Precision Bearings had been used to make the Norden bombsightNorden bombsight
The Norden bombsight was a tachometric bombsight used by the United States Army Air Forces and the United States Navy during World War II, and the United States Air Force in the Korean and the Vietnam Wars to aid the crew of bomber aircraft in dropping bombs accurately...
operate and facilitated destruction of the Schweinfurt bearing factories during World War II. In 2001, FAG was acquired INA-Holdings/Schaeffler KG (Schaeffler Gruppe). FAG is an acronym for Friedrich Fischer Aktien-Gesellschaft or Fischer AG which translates to Fischer Stock Company.
Freidrich Fischer invented the ball grinding machine 1883 for mass production of steel balls that allowed for broad use of ball bearings. FAG was trademarked in 1905.
Products
Traditional Barden products are predominantly radial, single row, super precision angular contact (separable and nonseparable) and deep groove ball bearings. Bearings are classified as either instrument or spindle bearings, and are made to exacting ABEC-7 or ABEC-9 specifications. Barden also sells ball screwBall screw
A ball screw is a mechanical linear actuator that translates rotational motion to linear motion with little friction. A threaded shaft provides a helical raceway for ball bearings which act as a precision screw. As well as being able to apply or withstand high thrust loads, they can do so with...
support bearings, cylindrical roller bearings and double direction angular contact thrust ball bearings.
Barden super precision bearings come in inch or metric dimensions with diameters ranging from 3/8" (9.5mm) O.D. up to 15 3/4" (400mm) O.D. A variety of seals, shields and metallic/nonmetallic cage designs and calibration options are available to satisfy most precision bearing requirements.
Because of the precision levels and applications that Barden Precision Bearings are used in, availability is limited because of US EAR, DFARS and ITAR regulations, with many of the bearing products coming under the US Munitions Listings. Additionally, international players of dubious motivations frequently attempt to bypass export restrictions by utilizing unsuspecting distributors of bearings who become unwitting accomplices in violation of export laws.
Because of the value and availability of Barden bearings, counterfeiting is not an uncommon occurrence. Although the counterfeit product may be difficult to identify in packaging or in appearance, once placed in the application, because of the low precision of the counterfeit product, performance issues usually surface with the application. The performance usually gives away and readily identifies the counterfeit bearing.