From May 23rd to 24th, the 2024 Shanghai International Automotive Bearing Technology Forum was successfully held in Shanghai. The forum, themed "Collaboration & Evolution: Bearing Solutions for Next-Generation Vehicles," attracted over 500 representatives from globally renowned OEMs, Tier 1 component suppliers, bearing manufacturers, material suppliers, research institutions, and industry media to discuss the forefront of industry development.

The two-day forum focused on industry hot topics, featuring four thematic sections: "Bearing Challenges in Electric Drive Systems," "Intelligent Bearings and Condition Monitoring," "Lightweighting and New Material Applications," and "Intelligent Manufacturing and Quality Control." Technical leaders and experts from companies such as Tesla, BYD, NIO, Bosch, Schaeffler, SKF, Renben Group, and Luoyang LYC delivered over twenty insightful presentations and participated in multiple roundtable discussions.

The forum presented three highlights:

OEMs' First In-Depth Voices: Several OEMs systematically elaborated on the performance limits and integration expectations of their next-generation electric platforms for bearings at a specialized bearing forum, providing clear technical breakthroughs for upstream suppliers.

Cross-disciplinary integration reached a consensus: Participants unanimously agreed that solving the reliability, quietness, and intelligence issues of future bearings requires deep integration between bearing engineers, materials scientists, software algorithm experts, and vibration and noise experts. Several potential collaborative R&D projects were initially discussed during the conference.

A concentrated showcase of local innovation achievements: In the mini-exhibition area attached to the forum, several Chinese bearing companies showcased their latest insulated bearings, wheel hub bearing units with sensing functions, and reducer bearings suitable for 800V high-voltage platforms, demonstrating strong independent R&D capabilities and rapid market response.

Professor Wang Ming, Chairman of the Forum Organizing Committee, summarized: “This forum is not only a technical exchange, but also a deep alignment of the industrial chain. It marks the evolution of the automotive bearing industry from the traditional ‘supply-purchase’ relationship to a new type of partnership of ‘joint definition, collaborative development, and shared value.’ We look forward to using the forum as a link to continuously promote collaborative innovation between industry, academia, research, and application, helping the Chinese automotive industry overcome the shortcomings of key components and consolidate its core competitiveness.”