Why ERIKS and SKF are helping manufacturers find certainty in uncertain times

Elegantly navigating the perfect storm  

Since 2020, manufacturers have weathered disruption on almost every front – from pandemic-driven supply chain instability to global shipping bottlenecks and the ripple effects of geopolitical conflict. For those manufacturers managing critical rotating equipment, these upheavals have tested more than just logistics. They’ve placed unprecedented strain on maintenance standards, operational resilience and long-term planning.

In this environment, trust matters more than ever. And when it comes to mechanical reliability, manufacturers trust SKF. As SKF’s only UK Maintenance Partner, ERIKS offers that trust in action – combining genuine SKF components, connected technologies and proven maintenance practices to help customers safeguard uptime while also advancing their sustainability goals.

Real parts, real peace of mind

At the core of this partnership is the assurance of authenticity. Every SKF component sourced through ERIKS comes with the backing of a certified supply chain. That means customers can count on receiving genuine parts – not lookalikes or grey-market substitutes – with full traceability and the performance characteristics they were designed for.

In times of tight availability and rising counterfeits, that confidence counts. But ERIKS doesn’t just deliver the part. It delivers the experience and infrastructure that underpin the SKF Maintenance Partner model – including trained engineers, audited repair centres and processes aligned to SKF’s global standards.

Trackable, transparent service

One way ERIKS supports customers through complexity is by making maintenance more visible. The Smart Asset Management (SAM) platform gives operations teams access to data from condition monitoring points, lubrication points and – in the future – refurbished Yaw gearboxes from its Aberdeen facility. It can also be configured to hold repair data, strip and inspect reports, and similar records where customers require this level of detail.

For operations teams, this adds a vital layer of control – offering a clear picture of monitored asset health, a digital record of interventions, and the insights needed to support long-term decision-making.

ERIKS takes that insight further by integrating SKF data with operational signals such as flow, pressure and valve position. Through the SAM platform, customers receive real-time dashboards and predictive alerts tailored to their specific assets and processes. This enables teams to move from reactive maintenance to proactive intervention – often preventing failures before they happen.

Crucially, this isn’t technology for technology’s sake. It’s made actionable by ERIKS engineers who know how to interpret the results, guide responses and deliver timely, appropriate support – from inspection and alignment to full repair and recommissioning.

Sustainability through smart maintenance

Maintenance isn’t just about uptime. It’s also a powerful lever for reducing environmental impact. Wasted energy, excess materials and premature component failure all carry a carbon cost. Working with ERIKS as a certified SKF Maintenance Partner helps manufacturers take practical steps towards their sustainability targets.

This includes avoiding the environmental footprint of early equipment replacement, reducing the emissions associated with unplanned downtime and emergency shipments, and supporting circular thinking through SKF bearing remanufacturing. By enabling more accurate fault detection and timely interventions, predictive maintenance also helps extend asset life and reduce unnecessary consumption of materials and energy.

Digitalisation plays a key role. By linking condition monitoring data to real-world asset performance, ERIKS gives manufacturers the insight to optimise maintenance schedules, reduce waste and improve overall efficiency – aligning day-to-day engineering activity with broader ESG strategies.

Certainty, engineered in

At a time when many businesses are trying to steady the ship, ERIKS and SKF offer more than reassurance – they offer structure, transparency and support rooted in experience. Customers benefit not only from a national network of certified repair facilities and exclusive access to genuine SKF parts, but also from services that are fully aligned with SKF’s own maintenance protocols.

This includes direct access to future-ready technologies, seamless data integration via the SAM platform, and the confidence that every engineer arriving on site has been trained to deliver work to the same exacting SKF standards. The result is a partnership designed to withstand disruption – and one that helps manufacturers not just survive the storm but navigate it with confidence.

So, when it comes to reliable, sustainable maintenance solutions: think SKF, think ERIKS.

For more information on Bearing Solutions and to get in touch with one of our ERIKS Specialists, please contact your local ERIKS Service Centre, who will be happy to discuss your options.

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