The Timken Company announced today that metals and mining company, Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (Vale), awarded Timken with a contract for 600 Timken® AP-2™ rail-car bearings. The bearings are for Vale’s Class K freight cars, which are used to transport iron ore from Vale’s mine sites across South America for export into China.
Designed to reduce wear, the Timken AP-2 bearing offers a compact design that runs at lower operating temperatures and lower torque than traditional rail-car bearing assemblies.
Based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Vale is the second largest diversified mining company in the world in terms of market value and the global leader in the production and export of iron ore. The company owns and operates more than 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of railroad track.