Develops and manufactures wire race bearings, thin-section bearings, slewing rings, rotary tables and linear guides to customer specifications.
Franke GmbH
Aalen (Baden-Württemberg)New on Amplifa
Rolling bearings and linear guides from Aalen
Franke GmbH, based in Aalen, has been developing and manufacturing rolling bearings, wire race bearings, thin-section bearings, slewing rings, rotary tables, direct drives as well as linear guides and linear systems to customer specifications since 1949. The basis is the wire race bearing invented by company founder Erich Franke in 1936, in which the raceways are designed as wire rings independent of the housing; this enables compact, lightweight and customer-specific integrated solutions. Manufacturing includes wire processing of the race rings on in-house machines, a patented raceway grinding process, machining, additive manufacturing of housings and assembly up to complete assemblies including direct drive (Franke Torque). Materials are steel, stainless steel, aluminium, plastics, non-ferrous metals, carbon and ceramics. Customers include medical technology, mechanical engineering, textile and packaging machinery, robotics, automotive, intralogistics, safety technology and semiconductor technology; production runs from lot size 1 through to series production. The Aalen site comprises six plants, including Plant 6, commissioned in 2025 for high-end rolling bearings.
- Site
- Aalen
- Processes
- Manufacture of wire race bearings, thin-section bearings, slewing rings, linear guides and, Grinding of the raceways of wire race bearings (patented grinding process), Manufacture of race rings (wire processing) on Franke-specific machines and systems, Additive manufacturing (3D printing) of slewing ring housings, Prototype construction and testing of custom rolling bearings, Vibration and shock tests on shaker test rig, Thermal tests in temperature chamber, Tilting moment test rigs for slewing rings (tilting moments up to 7 kNm at 350 mm outer diameter;
- Materials
- Steels, Stainless steels, Aluminium, Plastic, Non-ferrous metals, Carbon, Ceramics (non-magnetic rolling elements), Duratherm
- Certificates
- ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, Cleanroom certificate Linear guides, Cleanroom certificate Type LTD Torque
- Founded
- 1949
- Employees
- approx. 340
- Industries
- Medical technology, Safety technology, Mechanical engineering, Textile machinery, Packaging machinery, Robotics/Handling
- 01
Technical consulting and specification
- 02
Design/Engineering
- 03
Wire processing of the race rings (in-house systems)
- 04
Grinding of the raceways (patented process)
- 05
Machining of the housing components
- 06
Additive manufacturing of housings (optional)
- 07
Assembly incl. cage, race wires, seals
- 08
Quality inspection (vibration, shock, thermics, tilting moment)
- 09
Delivery, assembly training, refurbishing
Materials and processes
Steel (heat-treatable steel)
Material for housings and race rings of wire race bearings and slewing rings.
Stainless steel
Corrosion-resistant versions, among others for race wires in linear guides for medical technology.
Aluminium / high-strength aluminium alloys
Lightweight housings for slewing rings and base bodies of linear guides.
Plastic
Alternative housing materials for special applications.
Non-ferrous metals
Alternative housing materials for special environmental requirements.
Carbon
Lightweight material for slewing rings.
Ceramics
Non-magnetic rolling elements for special applications.
Duratherm
Material for applications in research and development.
Additive manufacturing
3D-printed, topology-optimized slewing ring housings made of aluminium alloy.
Patented grinding process
Grinding of the raceways for high precision and smooth running.
Locations and plants
Aalen
DEParent company/headquarters; Plant 1,4,5 rolling bearings industrial applications, Plant 2 Technicum/training/R&D,
- Lot size
- Prototype to series (from lot size 1)
- Materials
- Steel, stainless steel, aluminium, plastic, non-ferrous metals, carbon, ceramics
- Machining center with 12-fold pallet changer (Plant 6)
- Zeiss coordinate measuring machine MMZ 1 (measuring range 2x2 m, air-conditioned measuring room)
- Shaker test rig (5–3000 Hz, shock up to 100 g, up to 100 kN)
- Temperature chamber (-40 °C to +70 °C)
- Tilting moment test rig (up to 350 mm, 7 kNm)
- Test rig for radial/axial loads (up to 1200 mm outer diameter)
- Franke-specific machines for wire processing
Products and components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacture of wire race bearings, thin-section bearings, slewing rings, linear guides andAssembly | – | – | – | Lot size 1 – Series production even at high | Steel, Stainless steel, Aluminium, Plastic, Non-ferrous metals, Carbon, Ceramics |
| Grinding of the raceways of wire race bearings (patented grinding process)Machining | – | – | – | – | Heat-treatable steel, Stainless steel |
| Manufacture of race rings (wire processing) on Franke-specific machines and systemsForming | – | – | – | – | – |
| Additive manufacturing (3D printing) of slewing ring housingsAdditive | – | – | – | – | Aluminium alloy |
| Prototype construction and testing of custom rolling bearingsTesting | – | – | – | 1 piece | – |
| Vibration and shock tests on shaker test rigTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Thermal tests in temperature chamberTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Tilting moment test rigs for slewing rings (tilting moments up to 7 kNm at 350 mm outer diameter;Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Refurbishing / overhaul of slewing rings and wire race bearingsAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Design and manufacture of complete slewing rings with individual bores and gearingEngineering | – | – | – | – | Steel, Aluminium, Stainless steel, Carbon |
| Assembly training, installation assistance, customer training coursesAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
7 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machining center with 12-fold pallet changer | – | 1 | – | – | Plant 6, Aalen |
| Coordinate measuring machine | Zeiss MMZ 1 | 1 | Measuring range 2x2 meters | – | Plant 6, Aalen (air-conditioned measuring room, vibration-isolated base plate) |
| Shaker test rig (vibration and shock tests) | – | 1 | Frequency band 5-3000 Hz; shock pulses up to 100 g; maximum force up to 100 kN; component diameter | – | Aalen |
| Temperature chamber | – | 1 | Temperature range -40 °C to +70 °C | – | Aalen |
| Tilting moment test rig for slewing rings | – | 1 | up to 350 mm outer diameter, tilting moments up to 7 kNm | – | Aalen |
| Test rig for radial/axial loads on large components | – | 1 | up to 1200 mm outer diameter | – | Aalen |
| Franke-specific machines and systems for wire processing (race ring manufacture) | – | – | – | – | Plant 6, Aalen |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality management and testing
Quality inspection includes vibration and shock tests on a shaker test rig (5–3000 Hz, up to 100 g), thermic tests in a temperature chamber (-40 to +70 °C) as well as tilting moment and load test rigs up to 1200 mm outer diameter; in the air-conditioned, vibration-isolated measuring room there is a Zeiss coordinate measuring machine MMZ 1 with a 2x2 m measuring range. The quality management system is certified according to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 (DEKRA), supplemented by cleanroom certificates for linear guides and Type LTD Torque.
| Evidence | Aalen |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001:2015 | |
| ISO 14001:2015 | |
| Cleanroom certificate Linear guides | |
| Cleanroom certificate Type LTD Torque |
History
- 1936
Erich Franke invents the wire race bearing.
- 1949
Company founded as Franke in Aalen.
- 2025
Commissioning of Plant 6 for high-end rolling bearings; target climate neutrality 2025.