The Bearing Show is North Americas newest exhibition and conference, connecting the evolving needs of bearings end-users with the latest technologies serving, OEM development, maintenance professionals and R&D engineers. Meet visitors from OEM’s, machine manufacturers, industrial plants, global distributors, and more. Matching the needs of end-users with the innovation and opportunities occurring throughout the supply-chain is essential. PTE recently interviewed Thomas Harris, event director, Lubricant Expo and The Bearing Show North Americas, to discuss the evolution of the event and what to expect from the show in late March.

Why is it so important to feature the entire bearing/lubrication ecosystem at the show?

Thomas Harris: Bringing both the bearing and lubrication ecosystem together enables us to create the most effective platform we can for collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange. A key aspect of the show is connecting end-user customers with the solutions that meet their specific needs. By bringing together bearing companies, supply chain stakeholders, lubricant manufacturers, and industry professionals throughout the value chain, we can offer an environment where attendees find synergies, share expertise, and address challenges collectively. End-user customers get direct access to the latest innovations emerging from these sectors, whilst industry professionals can find the components and materials, they need to drive R&D through meaningful interactions throughout the entire ecosystem.

What manufacturing industries will be significantly featured at the show in Detroit? What industries would you like to see more emphasis on in future events? 

Thomas Harris: The show in Detroit will prominently feature manufacturing industries such as automotive, drivetrain, aerospace, industrial environments, and renewable energy, all of which heavily rely on efficient bearing, power transmission and lubrication systems. In future events, we aim to emphasize emerging sectors such as smart manufacturing, offer forums for industries with highly specific needs such as the marine sector and continue showcasing sustainable technologies at the forefront of lubricant and bearing advancements.

What are the most important trending topics in the bearing/lubrication markets that will be discussed and highlighted during the Expo?

Thomas Harris: The conference addresses pertinent topics for both bearing and lubricant customers as well as the challenges and opportunities facing these industries themselves. Sustainability of course is a theme that weaves through many of the panel discussions that will take place, with the opening day keynote addressing the global themes that are on everybody’s mind - from the energy transition, the global supply chain, electrification in the automotive sector to the OEM specifications of the future and the ways these industries will meet them. There’s a diverse range of more specialized and focused educational sessions such as understanding bearing failure in power transmission systems, hardware design trends within EVs, enhancing equipment reliability, extending service life, energy efficiency and carbon reduction in end-use cases and innovations in sustainably focused solutions for both lubricant and bearing development. Throughout the exhibition floor attendees will find all the emerging technologies on offer to achieve these goals, including advancements in smart lubrication, digitalization in condition monitoring, sustainability in bearing manufacturing and design, the materials and chemicals used in the development of these products and much more.

What challenges are your exhibitors facing in terms of energy efficiency and sustainability today?

Thomas Harris: I think companies across many sectors are encountering multifaceted challenges in their pursuit of energy efficiency and sustainability. As our industries place significant emphasis on environmental responsibility, our exhibitors are aiming to balance meeting growing global demands in both volume and performance, with minimizing their own ecological impact. In the realm of energy efficiency, there’s a strong focus on optimizing manufacturing processes to reduce energy consumption without compromising productivity. This means adopting state-of-the-art technologies, fine-tuning operations, and investing in research and development to create more energy-efficient components and systems. But they are also looking beyond their own manufacturing floor to the wider supply chain, logistics solutions, and of course the raw materials their products are made with, it’s a very holistic and sustainable approach to addressing these challenges. Sustainability really is at the heart of many conversations happening at the event. From material sourcing to waste reduction and recycling initiatives, our exhibitors are proactively addressing their environmental footprint. The transition towards eco-friendly lubricants and embracing circular economy principles are areas where both lubricant and bearing companies are investing time and resources. This shift is not only in response to market demands but also a testament to the industry's commitments to playing a pivotal role in global sustainability efforts.

How is condition monitoring/maintenance evolving in the bearing and lubrication industries?

Thomas Harris: I think the advancements happening with condition monitoring and maintenance are truly transformative. Throughout the show floor and within a dedicated session on this topic in the conference, attendees will meet some of the experts leading the way in integrating technologies like IoT and AI into the maintenance space. There's a shift in how professionals approach this topic, moving from reactive responses to predictive measures that anticipate and prevent potential issues. The industry is offering remote diagnostics and predictive analytics to significantly reduce downtime and maximize the efficiency of operations in many environments. There are opportunities now beyond scheduled maintenance, to more adaptive and data-driven strategies that enable staying ahead of issues and ensure the reliability of mechanical power transmission systems.

How has the Bearing/Lubrication exhibition evolved in recent years? What do you hope to achieve from the exhibitions in the future?

Thomas Harris: It’s fair to say that the North American edition of the event is an exciting evolution in and of itself. It’s been rewarding to see the European event grow so quickly over the last two years, and to receive the request from multiple key stakeholders to replicate the event for a North American audience has led us to where we are today, just weeks away from the first edition of the show in Detroit. We’ve seen the event grow to incorporate a more diverse range of technologies, include previously missing areas such as packaging and logistics, and an ever-growing range of sustainability-focused offerings in all areas. Looking to the future, there are other sectors that we’d like to see have even more involvement such as tank storage, software solutions and automation. We aim to keep expanding the range of solutions on offer at the event alongside our audience reach, attract even more international participants, and play our part as a catalyst for industry innovation. Our goal is to be the go-to platform for bearing and lubrication professionals, facilitating collaboration and driving positive change within these industries and the customer sectors they serve.

The Bearing Show 2024

The Bearing Show features exhibitors from the entire ecosystem, including finished bearings, condition monitoring, tools & equipment, components, materials, testing, and machinery used in the processes of bearing production and application. It is co-located with the Lubricant Expo, North America's newest exhibition and conference, connecting lubricant solution providers with the full range of end-user buyers, as well as the entire chemical and equipment supply chain with thousands of engineers and executives in attendance. The show takes place March 19-21 at Huntington Place in Detroit.