Schaeffler destroy 26 tonnes of counterfeit products

Bearing manufacturer seizes and destroys counterfeit rolling bearings in raids across Europe

FOLLOWING a similar operation in 2007 in which 40 tonnes of counterfeit rolling bearings were seized, precision engineering manufacturers Schaeffler say they have recently destroyed a further 26 tonnes of counterfeit products with a value of more than €1 million.

According to the company, a large proportion of the counterfeit bearings were seized in raids on bearing distributors across Europe, including Italy, Germany and the UK.

‘Brand and product piracy is not something that is limited to China or south-east Europe. It also takes place right on our doorstep,’ commented Ingrid Bichelmeir-Böhn, leader of the global brand protection team at Schaeffler.

‘The German and European markets are no longer flooded with just counterfeit luxury and consumer goods, there has also been an increase in counterfeit safety-critical industrial products such as rolling bearings,’ she said.

Worldwide, Schaeffler are actively pursuing the counterfeiting of rolling bearings and the distribution of these products, which in some cases leads to prosecution, fines and imprisonment.

The company says the economic losses caused by counterfeit products are difficult to estimate, but as well as lost sales and damage to the image of the bearing manufacturer, high costs are also incurred for investigating, confiscating and correctly disposing of counterfeit bearings.

And for those companies that unwittingly install such components, the repair costs incurred following the failure of counterfeit products can far exceed the value of the bearings.