As part of its efforts to secure distributorships with international brands to boost its product portfolio, bearings supplier and distributor Bearings International (BI) expects the first stock from India-based bearing housing manufacturer Masta Group to arrive by the end of this year.

BI signed the distribution deal with Masta Group –the latest brand to be added to its portfolio – in July 2019.

The standard SN-type housings, with standard felt strip seal, will be the first products Masta Group introduced.

“We will also stock the SNL and SNH range, as well as the SD range of housings, all of which are very common in the local market,” says BI business unit head Ross Trevelyan.

He adds that BI is focusing on the SN, SNH and the SNL ranges, as they are the most popular in South Africa.

The SN bearing housing range is a split-type housing that is the baseline housing and one of the most common found in the market.

The latest-design SNL housing design allows for the provision of an oil inlet and drain plug, as well as a connection for vibration and temperature probes.

A major feature of these bearing housings is that they are dimensionally interchangeable with other well-known brands being used in Southern Africa, Trevelyan highlights.

The Masta Group product range of bearing housings will be made available countrywide throughout the extensive BI branch network.

“For now, we will focus on the bearing housing offering and develop this in response to market demand. The joint venture with BI will mean we can now offer a full range of standard housings and a range of special housings manufactured for special applications.

“BI is always looking for reputable brands to add value to our existing product range,” he says.

BI manufactures a full range of plummer block housings, as well as special housings with a sealing arrangement to suit client applications, says Trevelyan.

He adds that the Masta housings are used worldwide in harsh and tough environments, as well as in all the major sectors that BI focuses on – mining, steel, sugar, power generation and original-equipment manufacturers.

Trevelyan notes that Masta Group has in-house production facilities, including a foundry and machine shop, in India. Subsequently, the company offers robust quality, supported by highly trained and experienced personnel. The products are subjected to advanced materials testing and inspection techniques before leaving the factory.

Other Offerings

BI will offer additional Masta housings designs, the BND-type solid housings, for heavy loads in multiple directions. A typical application would be a big fan impeller.

Trevelyan explains that Masta also manufactures the SPA series one-piece take-up unit suitable for conveyor belt tensioning.

Meanwhile, the PDN dual fan housing is a one-piece cylindrical house that is used for high-speed applications such as a small fan impeller.

Masta also manufactures housing for oil applications that run at high speeds, with typical applications in the cement, mining, steel and power industries.

The housings are made according to International Organisation for Standardisation and German national organisation for standardisation specifications and are manufactured using cast iron, spheroidal graphite iron (ductile iron) and cast steel, Trevelyan concludes.