ZKL Offers Counterfeit Bearing Identification Service

ZKL Klasterec spol. s.r.o. (Czech Republic, a division of HTC Holding) is now offering to identify counterfeit bearings for distributors and customers. While many distributors and installers around the world believe they are only at risk of buying counterfeit SKF, Timken, INA or FAG branded bearings, in fact ZKL is working hard to create awareness for its brand in all parts of the world. The majority of the problem with counterfeit ZKL bearings, especially in South America and India, stems from ZKL's cloudy ownership past as part of the Czech state-run military-industrial complex. In a 2002 privatization sale, the ZKL plant in Klasterec nad Ohri and the ZKL trademarks were acquired by what is now ZKL Klasterec spol s.r.o., a division of HTC Holding. However, because more than twenty bearing factories across the former Soviet Union had been licensed to produce ZKL brand bearings at one time or another -- some agreements continue today -- there is continuing market and buyer confusion as to what is and is not a currently-licensed ZKL brand bearing. Many factories with lapsed and rescinded licenses, said ZKL, have continued to manufacture poor quality ZKL branded bearings for sale in far-flung export markets. ZKL's program allows anyone with suspect ZKL-marked bearings to send a sample directly to the company for authentication. Based on the sample provided, if it is counterfeit, ZKL will identify the nonconforming specifications and notify the customer how those variations will affect its use and performance.