Bearings are an essential component in the majority of mechanical designs and equipment. It is important to consider the most effective materials when designing industrial machinery, especially in applications where water or other liquids are present. Many materials will be unable to overcome the challenges associated with operating in a wet or corrosive environment.

Bearings used to support main spindles on machine tools must be capable of higher speed and greater rigidity. This is true in that any main spindle that turns together with a tool or work piece mounted onto it is one of the critical machine tool components that directly affects machining efficiency and accuracy of the machine tool; and, the bearings that support the main spindle are the most critical machine elements on the machine tool.