Kingsbury Inc. has broken ground on an expansion project at its Philadelphia, Pa., plant to accommodate a custom induction heat-treating system and large turning machinery. The new equipment will allow the company’s Messinger Bearings brand to fabricate and repair rolling-element bearings up to 25 feet in diameter, the largest size capacity of any U.S. bearing manufacturer. For industries that utilize these giant bearings, such as tunnel-boring equipment, slewing rings in the steel industry, stacker/reclaimers, offshore cranes and others, Messinger will be able to provide much faster lead times than were previously available for both new bearings and repairs.

According to Kingsbury, the new thermal-processing and turning equipment is expected to be operational by the end of 2009. The company designs and manufactures a wide variety of standard and custom fluid-film thrust and journal bearings for rotating equipment applications. Kingsbury purchased the Messinger Bearings brand in February 2004.