are these koyo bearings genuine?

Joined
Jul 22, 2020
Messages
416
no upc code, koyo not engraved on bearing,
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Former Timken bearing engineer...

I will say the manufacturing looks to be decent, and this is NOT an absolute, but I would be suspicious.

A few reasons...
Koyo tapers are usually made in Japan
This part number is always shown with a Japan origin
Koyo seems to always spell out the country of origin (Japan, India, USA, etc.), not abbreviate it
Koyo spreads the information out around the raceway, not concentrated in one spot
Koyo usually has a plant code on the label on the box (70061) in the picture below

I will say the address checks out to a real Koyo plant in India.

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https://koyo.jtekt.co.jp/en/2019/10/news191002.html

Hard to know, it could be an older bearing...

Quote: "Since June 2019, we have started to add a unique QR-code (special 2D barcode) to verify the KOYO branded bearing authenticity by scanning the QR-code found on the individual box label via the WBA Check app"
i find it hard to believe that this shop has 5 year old bearings in stock. the plastic bag is not sealed also.
 
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Former Timken bearing engineer...

I will say the manufacturing looks to be decent, and this is NOT an absolute, but I would be suspicious.

A few reasons...
Koyo tapers are usually made in Japan
This part number is always shown with a Japan origin
Koyo seems to always spell out the country of origin (Japan, India, USA, etc.), not abbreviate it
Koyo spreads the information out around the raceway, not concentrated in one spot
Koyo usually has a plant code on the label on the box (70061) in the picture below

I will say the address checks out to a real Koyo plant in India.

View attachment 218504View attachment 218507View attachment 218508

View attachment 218506
thank you for passing the time to reply. i suspected this was a fake bearing, and your comments strengthen my suspicions. i have made a report to koyo via the world bearing association authentication app. If I receive a reply from koyo, i will post update.
 
i received a reply from koyo , which is jtekt now:

"Dear Customer

We would like to thank the customer for contacting us through the WBA site.

Thank you for your continued patronage of JTEKT products.

The product you purchased does not have a hologram or QR code because it is in an old package.

The information engraved on the end face of the tapered roller bearing is equivalent to the genuine product.

Since the store where you purchased the product is also our official store, we believe that the product in the photo is a genuine product.

We hope that you will continue to use JTEKT products.

Regards,"

i guess koyo cant tell in the pictures i sent them , which are the same I posted here, that the information on the bearing is printed but not engraved as they have assumed erroneously it has engraved letters. I sent them a reply pointing out that the bearings do not have engraved letters. in koyos defense i didnt point out in the initial report via WBA app about the bearing that the letters on the bearings bearing are printed and not engraved. I will update if they reply.
 
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I buy Koyo, FAG, etc in applications where the country of origin is important to me- Japan, USA, Korea, etc. India, China, Mexico is NOT on my list....
 
I buy Koyo, FAG, etc in applications where the country of origin is important to me- Japan, USA, Korea, etc. India, China, Mexico is NOT on my list....
I dunno, I don't have a problem with Mexico if the company has a strong US presence. It seems like a way to reduce labor costs and environmental fees/restrictions but not difficult to keep them on a tight leash as far as QC, being right next door and all..... maybe I'm mistaken though
 
received a reply from koyo:

"Dear ...

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the old package.

We strive to disseminate information by updating packaging and labeling.

It is also published on our homepage from time to time.

When purchasing JTEKT products (Koyo Bearings), we recommend purchasing from a trusted retailer.

If you do not know the retailer, please check with your local JTEKT office.

We hope you will continue to use JTEKT products.

Regards,"

i did buy from their authorized retailer. even when buying from authoeized retailers it is good to check the authenticity of the bearings, as i believe these are fake bearings. next time i will look for skf bearings.
 
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received a reply from koyo:

"Dear ...

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the old package.

We strive to disseminate information by updating packaging and labeling.

It is also published on our homepage from time to time.

When purchasing JTEKT products (Koyo Bearings), we recommend purchasing from a trusted retailer.

If you do not know the retailer, please check with your local JTEKT office.

We hope you will continue to use JTEKT products.

Regards,"
Word salad.
 
...i didnt point out in the initial report via WBA app about the bearing that the letters on the bearings bearing are printed and not engraved. I will update if they reply.

Those look to be laser engraved (not ink printed)...which is something Timken does as well. So that style would not bother me. It was the other details I pointed out that were a concern. If they say they are OEM, I would run them.

I would honestly run Timken first ;-)
 
There’s nothing on there that makes it look like a fake bearing. Koyo has been laser engraving the markings as shown in your image for the past decade, if not more. They do the country abbreviations as well on a range of their bearings.

Fwiw, I’ve used bearings from that Koyo plant in India for work for several years without any issues.
 
Those look to be laser engraved (not ink printed)...which is something Timken does as well. So that style would not bother me. It was the other details I pointed out that were a concern. If they say they are OEM, I would run them.

I would honestly run Timken first ;-)
There’s nothing on there that makes it look like a fake bearing. Koyo has been laser engraving the markings as shown in your image for the past decade, if not more. They do the country abbreviations as well on a range of their bearings.

Fwiw, I’ve used bearings from that Koyo plant in India for work for several years without any issues.
they don't have that type of engraving which perforate deep into the metal and make grooves into it which can be felt with your fingernail. the engravings on these bearings are probably laser engraved as i couldnt feel them with my fingernail as in other bearings.
 
i got another reply from an individual from Koyo Latin America. he wrote

"It is a pleasure to greet you, to inform you that we have reviewed the request regarding the counterfeit bearing.

We inform you that during that year we received a batch of bearings produced in India.

The corporation asked several subsidiaries to buy the plant in India.

For this reason, we receive this bearing with different characteristics and markings.

That was temporary as we went back to buying from the plant in Japan.

The company you bought the bearing from remains an authorized distributor for the territory of Nicaragua.

You can feel confident purchasing the company's product since we have extensive experience with them."
 
i asked the individual from koyo latin america what year they received the bearings from india and he replied

"
From 2015 to 2018, we sold those bearings of Indian origin to all customers. Considering there were only 2 bearings of Indian origin.

Looking at the latest purchases of 2018 in the system appears the place you purchased them, therefore you bought those products of Indian origin.

Likewise, the bearings of Indian origin are guaranteed by the JTEKT brand so you cannot feel confident in using the product."

i guess he meant you can feel confident in using the product.
 
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