Debrecen4U December 8, 2025

Ball bearing production in Debrecen has reached a significant milestone

Since 2020, 15 million single‑row deep‑groove ball bearings have rolled off Schaeffler’s production line.

Schaeffler’s bearing and component plant in Debrecen, which has a history of more than a quarter of a century, has reached an important milestone. The production of single-row deep groove ball bearings (Deep Groove Ball Bearing, DGBB) at the motion technology company’s first site in the “cívis” city crossed the 15 million mark by December, the company announced.

With the start of series production, the first ball bearing rolled off the Debrecen production line in 2020.

“We have come a long way in the past half a decade. This milestone was achieved thanks to the collaboration between our Debrecen plant, Schaeffler’s bearing manufacturing business, and the Bearings & Industrial Solutions division. I am particularly proud that, thanks to our conscious investment strategy, the importance of ball bearing production is continuously increasing, further diversifying our product portfolio,” emphasized Péter Szabó, Director of Schaeffler Debrecen Campus and Plant Director of the Határ Road site.

Sustainable production

Last year, thanks to the commissioning of a new and a completely renovated production line, production capacity was further expanded, contributing 3 million units to the 15 million milestone.

By recycling production machines used at other Schaeffler sites, the Debrecen subsidiary contributes to the sustainability goals of the group.

The ball bearings manufactured at the Határ Road production plant are used in models of European car manufacturers, both in conventional internal combustion engine-powered and hybrid and pure electric vehicles. A team of more than 70 people works directly on providing customers with high-quality products. “We would like to thank all our colleagues working on the project for their commitment, including the support staff in the field. Without the joint efforts of the team, this result would not have been possible. I am convinced that we will soon be able to celebrate further successes thanks to the newly installed production lines and the dedication of our team,” said Erzsébet Nagy, segment manager of ball bearing production.

Forward-looking development

A significant capacity expansion began in Debrecen in February this year, as part of which two new ball bearing production cells were installed.

The test plant was successfully completed at the end of November, and following the production of the samples, the Határ Road plant will deliver the so-called zero series to its customers from the beginning of December, and series production will also start on these production lines in the first quarter of 2026.

Through this development, the Debrecen bearing and component plant will further strengthen its dominant role in the important market segment of ball bearing production, supporting the movement of hybrid and purely electric cars with millions of additional products in the coming years.

Source:dehir.hu | Photo credit:Facebook Barcsa Lajos