During the 2025 Fair Plus Robotics Expo in Shenzhen, Mr. Li Jingyang, General Manager of Ningbo Shilong Bearing Co., Ltd., sat down for an exclusive interview with Chen Lu, Editor-in-Chief of China Exportsemi. In just a few minutes, the nearly 20-year-old bearing manufacturer revealed its powerful momentum in the field of critical robotic components—especially its breakthroughs in overcoming the “bottleneck of flexible joint bearings”—attracting significant attention from the industry.
Photo: Li Jingyang, General Manager of Ningbo Shilong Bearing, being interviewed by China Exportsemi
I. Deeply Rooted in Flexible Bearings: Shilong Targets the Heart of Robotic Systems
“Our core product line centers on thin-walled flexible bearings, which are primarily used in robotic arms, joints, and servo motors,” explained Li. Shilong has successfully mass-produced its F-series flexible bearings, covering models from F11 to F40. Among them, the F40 series stands out with high torque capacity, load endurance, precision, and resistance to wear and heat—making it ideal for multi-joint and small industrial robots.
A particularly noteworthy achievement is the company's ultra-precise control of bearing accuracy—reaching an impressive margin of error of just 0.002 mm (note: equivalent to 0.2 silk). “Our production standards are aligned with those of Japan’s NACHI. We exercise strict control over materials, heat treatment, and grinding processes, and we’ve implemented many proprietary optimizations in fine details like edge chamfering,” Li noted.
Photo: Flexible robot bearings manufactured by Ningbo Shilong Bearing
II. Global-Scale Capacity: Nearly 150 Million Units Shipped Annually
According to the company, Shilong currently produces between 10 to 12 million units of 67 and 68 series thin-walled bearings per month—equating to nearly 150 million units annually. This positions the company among China’s top three in output and brings its production scale close to that of leading global brand EZO from Japan.
Behind this impressive capacity is Shilong’s long-standing expertise in miniature and precision bearings. The company is now accelerating development in the direction of miniaturization, lightweighting, and high-speed performance to meet the evolving demands of robotic arms and complex joint systems.
“Each joint in a robotic arm requires a bearing that is precisely dimensioned, smooth-running, and capable of high loads,” said Li. “In humanoid robots, for instance, the mainstream solution now includes a flexible harmonic drive combined with a crossed-roller bearing. We’re actively expanding production lines to meet this trend.”
III. Moving Up the Value Chain: Entering the Ecosystems of Leading Chinese Robotics Firms
Shilong bearings have already been adopted by key players in the robotics value chain, including ZhongdaLeader, Han's Laser’s subsidiary Shanchuan Intelligent, and Hangzhou Unitree Robotics. Unitree, a leader in quadruped robots in China, demands bearings that are both lightweight and impact-resistant. Shilong’s flexible bearings, with their superior durability and adaptability, have been incorporated into some of Unitree’s core joint assemblies.
The company is also collaborating closely with emerging firms such as Fourier Intelligence and DMEGC Robotics. Some of these partnerships are in the pilot batch supply stage, with promising potential to become primary suppliers of humanoid and service robots in the near future.
“We’re currently co-developing technologies with several humanoid robot startups, customizing materials, structural designs, and lubrication solutions,” Li revealed.
Photo: Shilong’s flexible bearings for harmonic reducers
IV. Aligning with Global Standards: Filling the High-End Market Gap
Despite the growing scale of China’s bearing industry, the market still relies heavily on foreign brands for high-precision, high-reliability bearings—particularly in the flexible category. As one of the few domestic brands with both stable mass production and in-house R&D capabilities, Shilong is now working toward full alignment with international standards.
“To truly benchmark against global leaders, we need to improve in three key areas: raw material selection and consistency, in-depth heat treatment control, and precision in processing complex structures like chamfered edges,” said Li candidly.
To this end, Shilong has expanded its bearing heat treatment and assembly lines in Ningbo, introduced multiple high-precision CNC grinding machines, and enhanced its full-process quality traceability system. These upgrades aim to ensure batch stability, shorter delivery cycles, and ultra-low defect rates. “Export orders are gradually recovering as well. Our next step is to establish overseas warehouses and service centers in Southeast Asia,” he added.
V. Industry Insight: Flexible Bearings May Be the Key to Unlocking Joint “Bottlenecks”
Among the three core components of robots—reducers, servo motors, and controllers—reducers are particularly dependent on the performance of flexible bearings. High-quality flexible bearings ensure the stability and precision of the robot’s motion system.
Historically, China has relied on imports for such components, especially from Japan’s Harmonic Drive, THK, and NACHI. But domestic players like Shilong, equipped with independent manufacturing and process innovation capabilities, are now emerging to break this dependence—providing a solid foundation for the high-end evolution of China’s robotic hardware sector.
As China’s bearing industry moves from "domestic substitution" to "standards export," it finds itself at a critical intersection of technological transformation and industrial upgrading. Companies like Shilong are poised to become key players in the global race for core robotic components over the next five years.
VI. Conclusion:
From low-profile OEM to master of robotic joint precision, Ningbo Shilong is leveraging a single, seemingly humble bearing to pivot the future of China’s robotics industry. As downstream demand continues to surge, this bearing giant—already producing over 100 million units a year—is shedding its “invisible champion” status and accelerating toward becoming a global standard-setter.
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