SKF: Brand overview
SKF, a Swedish company specializing in industrial engineering, is a renowned bearing manufacturer and dates back to 1907. Its acronym stands for Svenska Kullagerfabriken, which translates to “Swedish Ball Bearing Factory.” The company is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden.
In 1919, SKF became a leader in the development of the self-aligning ball bearing, which brought the company to the forefront of bearing technology. Today, SKF’s range of products is not limited to ball bearings but includes roller, plain, thrust, spherical, and tapered bearings to meet the needs of various industries.
In addition to bearings, SKF offers a range of products, such as lubrication and sealing systems. SKF also offers mechatronics, asset management services, and machine health solutions.
SKF has a global presence with more than 100 manufacturing sites and sales units in over 130 countries. The company employs a diverse international team of more than 40,000 people. In 2021, SKF had annual sales of approximately $7.2 billion.
SKF supplies bearings and related technologies to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the automotive, aerospace, agriculture, railroad, and other industries. The company is widely recognized for its expertise in tribology and application engineering, which play a key role in optimizing bearing design, lubrication, and reliability.
SKF continues to push the boundaries with key innovations such as magnetic bearings for rotating equipment and bearings with sensors for condition monitoring, further strengthening its market-leading position.
Meaning and History
What is SKF?
The Swedish company SKF has been providing exceptional bearing solutions for over 100 years. SKF was founded in 1907 by Sven Wingqvist and Axel Carlander in Gothenburg, Sweden. Since then, the company has grown into a titan of the industry, operating globally and maintaining Gothenburg as its headquarters. With a wealth of experience gained over a century of bearing and seal manufacturing, SKF has earned the trust of its customers around the world.
1907 – 1908
1908 – 1913
1913 – 2003
2003 – 2005
2005 – today
The abbreviation on the SKF logo stands for “Svenska Kullagerfabriken .”The text has a unique geometric design: each letter consists of stripes of different thicknesses and rectangular shapes, but the edges are smoothed. The emblem looks asymmetrical because of the uneven ratio of the letters. It is most noticeable in the letter “S,” where the upper part is almost twice as small as the lower part. The blue color symbolizes hope and aspiration for perfection.
The logo resembles a kind of puzzle. Each piece, or in this case, each letter and stripe, has its own little quirk. It’s like someone had fun putting it together from different building blocks. The blue color is like the glue that holds all these quirky details together, giving it that final “we’ve got it” touch.
SKF color codes
YInMn Blue | Hex color: | #3c68ae |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 60 104 174 | |
CMYK: | 66 40 0 32 | |
Pantone: | PMS 660 C |