B2K recently supplied one of the largest SKF slewing ring bearings delivered in Southern Africa.

B2K was trusted by the customer to supply the 7 metre bearing for installation on a stacker reclaimer used in mining bulk material handling operations, where equipment reliability directly influences production continuity.

Stacker reclaimers operate continuously in high-throughput environments, stacking and reclaiming large volumes of material. At the centre of their operation is the slewing ring bearing, which supports the rotation of the machine’s superstructure while carrying significant structural loads. Any reliability risk in this component can directly affect plant availability.

Engineering Collaboration with SKF

Large slewing ring bearings are specialised engineered components that must be precisely specified for their application.

For this project, B2K worked closely with SKF, whose engineering and manufacturing capabilities were central to producing the 7 metre slewing ring bearing used in the application. The bearing was manufactured at SKF’s specialised slewing ring factory in France, where large-scale bearings are produced for demanding industrial applications worldwide.

This collaboration ensured the bearing was correctly designed and manufactured for the operational requirements of the stacker reclaimer.

Coordinating Complex Logistics 

Transporting a 7 metre slewing ring bearing requires specialised handling and logistics planning.

Following arrival at port, the component was transported using abnormal-load trucking supported by a police escort, ensuring safe movement to its final destination.

Projects of this scale require partners with the financial capacity, technical competence, and supply chain coordination needed to support high-value equipment procurement and delivery without disruption.

Working together, SKF and B2K combine OEM engineering expertise with regional supply execution to support the reliability of critical industrial operations across Southern Africa.

Reliability begins long before installation.