Spindel- und Lagerungstechnik Fraureuth

Spindel- und Lagerungstechnik Fraureuth GmbH (SLF) is a German manufacturer of rolling bearings and spindle units headquartered in Fraureuth, Saxony. The company was founded in 1993 by senior staff of the former Fraureuth rolling bearing plant, building on a site with more than eighty years of bearing production tradition. SLF has grown into a solid medium-sized specialist with around 350 employees, serving international customers who value individual, innovative products and exceptional service. SLF produces rolling bearings for applications demanding high speed, precision and media resistance. Its portfolio includes ball, roller, tapered and spherical roller bearings, high-precision, electrically insulated and hybrid bearings, as well as complete tool spindle units for milling, drilling, turning and grinding machines. The company offers both standard series production and custom single-unit manufacturing, with special solutions tailored to specific customer applications. Its spindle division specializes in individual and small-series production across industries. Key customer industries include the food and beverage industry, textile machinery, electric motors, machine tools, gears and robotics, pumps, and other industrial applications. SLF is strongly active in direct sales and supplies both machine and plant manufacturers and other bearing manufacturers. Its main sales markets are Germany (about 76.6% of revenue), the EU (5.9%), and third countries such as the USA, China and Switzerland (17.5%). The company operates subsidiaries STI Bearings GmbH (since 2020), SLF Bearings USA, Inc. (since 2019), and SLF Bearings (Kunshan) Co., Ltd. in China (founded 2023). SLF is certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015 and DIN EN ISO 50001:2018, and offers products under the brands "SLF", "FRAUREUTH SLF" and "DKF". It produces over two million rolling bearings and more than 1,000 spindle units annually on 60,000 m² of production space. The company emphasizes sustainability, sourcing raw materials almost entirely from Western European steelworks and powering its operations with 100% hydroelectric electricity since 2022, supplemented by its own photovoltaic generation.

The Fraureuth site has a long history in rolling bearing and spindle production. Before the bearing industry, the site housed the Fraureuther Porzellanfabrik (Fraureuth porcelain factory). In 1942, due to World War II, the production of brass, light metal and pressed-wood bearing cages was relocated to Fraureuth. Specifically for this purpose, Thüringer Pressholz-Gesellschaft m.b.H. was founded in 1943, employing around 800 workers and prisoners of war by 1945. At the end of the war, the plant was initially shut down. At the end of 1945, the SMAD ordered its reopening, and production began for, among others, Deutsche Kugellagerfabrik (DKF). A year later, the company was nationalized. In 1949, production of rolling bearings and grinding spindles started. In 1950, the operation was renamed VEB Fraureuther Wälzlagerfabrik and assigned to VVB Werkzeugmaschinen und Werkzeuge. By 1952, it employed 1,282 people. The product range was expanded to include super-precision bearings, manufactured for Carl-Zeiss Jena. In 1954, the workforce peaked at 1,827 employees. Initially, all products bore the trademark "VWF", later "Femina". The Fraureuth rolling bearing plant represented a high economic and technical level for the GDR's rolling bearing industry, taking on a leading role for all rolling bearing operations in East Germany. In the 1960s, the company exported to 17 countries and began large-scale production (up to 75,000 units per type). In subsequent years, it produced the GDR's first maintenance-free rolling bearing and established itself as a supplier to the machine tool, automotive, optical and agricultural machinery industries. From January 1, 1970, VEB Wälzlagerwerk Fraureuth belonged to the reorganized Kombinat Wälzlager und Normteile (headquartered in Karl-Marx-Stadt) and produced under the trademark "DKFDDR". After German reunification, the GDR rolling bearing industry was reorganized into DKFL GmbH, based in Leipzig. From 1991 to 1993, the Fraureuth plant was a subsidiary of FAG Kugelfischer Georg Schäfer KGaA. After DKFL GmbH's insolvency proceedings in 1993, Spindel- und Lagerungstechnik Fraureuth GmbH was newly founded at the Fraureuth site, initiated by senior staff of the old rolling bearing plant. At the Leipzig site, Kugel- und Rollenlagerwerk Leipzig GmbH was established. Under the "SLF" trademark, products go to companies in Germany (about 85% of revenue) and around 40 countries. Today, SLF employs around 365 people (as of April 2025) and produces over two million rolling bearings and more than 1,000 spindle units annually on 60,000 m² of production space. The product range includes both standard solutions and highly specialized special bearings tailored to customer requirements. The company is certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015 and DIN EN ISO 50001:2018 and offers products under the brands "SLF", "FRAUREUTH SLF" and "DKF". SLF is strongly active in direct sales and supplies machine and plant manufacturers as well as other rolling bearing manufacturers. Sales markets are mainly Germany (76.6% of revenue), the EU (5.9%) and third countries such as the USA, China and Switzerland (17.5%). The group includes subsidiaries STI Bearings GmbH (since 2020), SLF Bearings USA, Inc. (since 2019) and SLF Bearings (Kunshan) Co., Ltd. in China (founded 2023). The latter serves both sales in the Chinese market and optimization of the local supplier structure. SLF manufactures ball bearings with outer diameters from 40 mm to 1,600 mm and complete tool spindle units for milling, drilling, turning and grinding machines, which are purchased as ready-to-install assemblies by numerous machine tool manufacturers.

• 2023

  SLF Bearings (Kunshan) Co., Ltd. founded in China; 5% of electricity from own photovoltaic.

• 2022

  SLF sourced 100% of its electricity from hydropower.

• 2020

  STI Bearings GmbH established.

• 2019

  SLF Bearings USA, Inc. established.

• 1993

  Spindel- und Lagerungstechnik Fraureuth GmbH newly founded after DKFL GmbH insolvency.

• 1991

  Became subsidiary of FAG Kugelfischer Georg Schäfer KGaA.

• 1970

  Joined Kombinat Wälzlager und Normteile; produced under trademark "DKFDDR".

• 1954

  Peak workforce of 1,827 employees.

• 1952

  Employed 1,282 people; expanded to super-precision bearings for Carl-Zeiss Jena.

• 1950

  Renamed VEB Fraureuther Wälzlagerfabrik.

• 1949

  Start of rolling bearing and grinding spindle production.

• 1946

  Company nationalized.

• 1945

  Plant initially shut down at war's end; SMAD orders reopening at end of 1945.

• 1943

  Thüringer Pressholz-Gesellschaft m.b.H. founded in Fraureuth.

• 1942

  Production of bearing cages relocated to Fraureuth due to World War II.

Medium-sized specialist for high-precision rolling bearings and spindle units, focusing on customized solutions, short delivery times and demanding niche applications.

• Ball bearings

  Outer diameter range from 40 mm to 1,600 mm.

• Roller bearings

  For high-load applications.

• Tapered roller bearings

  For combined radial and axial loads.

• Spherical roller bearings

  Self-aligning for misalignment.

• High-precision bearings

  For machine tool and precision applications.

• Electrically insulated bearings

  Prevent electrical erosion.

• Hybrid bearings

  Ceramic rolling elements for high speed.

• Spindle units

  Complete tool spindle units for milling, drilling, turning and grinding machines.

• Bearing components

  Cages, rings and rolling elements.

• Custom special bearings

  From lot size 1.

1. 1Spindel- und Lagerungstechnik Fraureuth – SLF Fraureuthslf-fraureuth.de
2. 2Spindel- und Lagerungstechnik Fraureuth – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3Spindel- und Lagerungstechnik Fraureuth – Wikidatawikidata.org