Our machine stock for state-of-the-art technology
- 5-axis machining centre
- Automated and robotic machining lines
- Flexible machining equipment for small and medium series, prototypes.
Our processes
For machining, welding and heat treatment of your rings
High-precision manufacturing processes
The Defontaine Group is the historical and reference partner of the precision industry. In order to meet the very high standards of our customers and their needs, we offer a wide range of controlled and customised solutions for the manufacture of rings in small series, large series and prototypes.
By machining, deformation or fusion processes, the Defontaine Group can help you define the best manufacturing processes according to the constraints your parts must withstand. Our proven expertise and know-how allow us to manufacture and deliver more precise, durable and reliable rings worldwide.
Defontaine, your expert in special processes
We have developed proven expertise in special processes, to ensure that our products meet the requirements of our customers.
“A special process is a process whereby the resulting output cannot be verified by subsequent monitoring or measurement, and, as a consequence, deficiencies become apparent only after the product is in use.”
Source: NADCAP
A so-called special process is a manufacturing process that is fully controlled by specifically qualified operators and for which the parameters are precisely determined and cannot be changed. The manufacture of a single part may require several special processes. Rollix bearings, for example, are both induction treated and MT inspected.
Discover all our other skills and trades
Our special processes and their applications
WELDING
- Flash-butt welding: Aerospace, automotive industry, industrial bearings
- TIG welding: Aerospace industry
- Roller welding: Aerospace industry
HEAT TREATMENTS
- Conventional and vacuum heat treatment: Aerospace industry, bearings for the wind power, industrial and automotive industry
- Induction heat treatment: Bearings for the wind power, industrial and automotive industry
- Press quenching: Industrial applications
CUT-OUTS
- 5-axis laser cutting: Aerospace industry
- Electrical discharge machining (EDM): Aerospace industry
NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING
- Metallurgical laboratory: Bearings for the aerospace, wind power and industrial industry
- Fluorescent penetrant inspection (FPI): Aerospace industry
- Real-Time X-ray (RTX): Aerospace industry
- MPI (Magnetic Particle Inspection): Aerospace industry, bearings for the wind power, industrial and automotive industry
- Ultrasonic Testing (UT): Aerospace industry, bearings for the wind power, industrial and automotive industry
All our special processes are NADCAP certified
Flash-butt welding
The Defontaine group flash-butt welding process and flash-butt welding, rolling and forging process are a reference in the market. We apply this process to manufacture rough rings from long bars. A low-voltage, high-current flow runs through the previously bent ring and brings both ends to melting temperature, generating bright sparks. Both ends are then forged together, ejecting the excess metal outwards.
This high-performance, reliable and economical butt-welding process allows to weld bars and profiles without adding metal, thus reducing your material costs and machining times.
Precision grinding
Surface or cylindrical grinding is a finishing machining process that aims to produce high-quality, high-precision metal parts in the micron range.
Grinding of the Rollix ring raceways guarantees the quality of the profile. This precision process also allows Defontaine Group to control the preload applied to our rings. Face and diameter grinding is also possible to reduce runout tolerances for high-precision parts.
Press quenching
The principle of quenching is to heat a material until its internal structure changes and then cool it in a liquid, thus increasing its mechanical strength. To eliminate the deformation caused by this heat treatment, Defontaine Group has developed a technology that guarantees the dimensional conformity of the ring during the heat treatment operation: press hardening. This special process keeps the ring under stress during the hardening phase, thus eliminating any risk of deformation and ensuring uniform hardening.
Induction treatment
Induction heat treatment or induction hardening is a non-contact heating system of metals, an electric current is induced in the part. This treatment increases the surface hardness and provides a better resistance to wear and tear against loads. All Rollix ring raceways are induction treated. Internal or external gear can also be treated if necessary.
Induction hardening is an efficient, economical and environment-friendly process which can achieve high hardening depths, process a large number of parts in a short period of time and does not require a vacuum atmosphere or the use of hazardous, polluting or chemical products.
Gear cutting
Gear cutting is a machining process used within the Defontaine Group for inner and outer, straight or helical gears for modules 1 to 25. The hobbing profile can be obtained in different ways: individual gear hobbing with a disc cutter, hobbing of the outer gear with a hob cutter or hobbing of a single part with a blade depending on the quality of the gear to be obtained.
Do you need special guidance?
FAQ
Rollix products
Rollix Compact CB slewing rings are designed to be interchangeable with standard products on the market, making them easy to integrate or replace in high-precision applications (robotics, indexing tables, machine tools, etc.). For further information, please consult the full Rollix slewing ring catalogue in the media library on our website.
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You can indeed obtain a quote for a single unit. To obtain the price of a bearing or a slewing ring, you can visit our online shop (b2b.defontaine.com) or contact our sales teams directly at sales@rollix.com or via the contact form on our website https://www.defontaine.com/en/contact/
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The Defontaine Group has an online shop for the sale of standard Rollix products. Our e-shop is https://b2b.defontaine.com/
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To find out if we have a distributor in your country, you can contact us via our online form at https://www.defontaine.com/en/contact/ or by email: for the Rollix brand, send an email to sales@rollix.com and for the Defontaine brand to sales@defontaine.com .
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We naturally offer custom-made slewing rings and bearings. To arrange this, please contact our sales team, who will liaise with our design office.
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Rollix offers high-precision slewing rings https://www.defontaine.com/en/our-markets/machine-tool/ for applications such as rotary tables, machine tools and robots, as well as for wind turbines https://www.defontaine.com/en/our-markets/wind-energy/ with large-sized slewing rings, and for the marine market https://www.defontaine.com/en/our-markets/marine/ including wind assisted propulsion systems.
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To obtain a quote for a bearing or slewing ring, please visit our online shop (b2b.defontaine.com) or contact our sales teams directly at sales@rollix.com or via the contact form on our website https://www.defontaine.com/en/contact/
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Please follow the slewing ring selection procedure as outlined in the document “6-step process for selecting a slewing ring”, which can be downloaded from the media library section of our website.
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To request a quote for an HD-R slewing ring, please contact our sales team at sales@rollix.com or via the contact form on our website https://www.defontaine.com/en/contact/
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All ring part numbers are listed and categorised by family: standard ball bearings, light-series ball bearings, standard crossed-roller bearings, precision bearings and special-purpose bearings. All part numbers are listed in the slewing ring catalogue, which can be downloaded from the media library on our website.
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Light-series ball slewing rings can be manufactured from L-shaped profiles or solid sections. There are three classes of clearance accuracy for each type of slewing ring. These slewing rings are not suitable for suspended loads.
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Typically 5 to 30% less fuel, depending on the vessel, route, technology and operation.
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To provide a quote, if the item is a standard part listed in our catalogue, our sales teams will need the part number, the quantities required, and the Incoterm associated with your request. Our standard items can also be ordered directly via our online shop (https://b2b.defontaine.com/). If you would like our engineering teams to assist you in defining and designing a bespoke slewing ring, you will need to complete our IT ETR form (available to download from the media library on our website).
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To understand the differences, please refer to our coding system in our brochure ‘Slewing Ring Families’, which can be downloaded from the media library on our website.
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Most observed cases range between 3 and 7 years.
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Rollix offers solutions for wind-assisted propulsion. Wind-assisted propulsion is a propulsion aid that harnesses the wind using various technologies (rigid sails, wings, Flettner rotors, kites) to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Find out more: https://www.defontaine.com/en/our-markets/wind-assisted-propulsion/
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We manufacture slewing rings and bearings with an average diameter ranging from 150 mm to 6200 mm.
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Rollix manufactures preloaded slewing rings with crossed rollers, or with two or three rows of rollers. Rollix also offers preloaded or reduced-preload slewing rings with single-row or double-row ball bearings.
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Slewing rings are classified into several main categories based on the rolling element, geometry and level of precision.
1. Ball slewing rings
Rollix offers several variants of ball slewing rings, designed for standard applications involving moderate to high loads.
• Single row of balls
Compact slewing rings, suitable for moderate loads and where space is limited.
• Double row of balls
Higher load capacity than the single row; used for more demanding machinery.
• Light series (L-shaped profiles or solid rings)
Designed for applications requiring weight reduction.
2. Crossed-roller rings
Crossed rollers provide high rigidity and a high load capacity, particularly for combined loads.
• Single row of crossed rollers
Capable of withstanding axial and radial loads in compact applications.
• Double row of crossed rollers
Even greater rigidity and capacity, used in cranes, wind turbines, forestry equipment, etc.
3. High-precision rings
Rollix offers ranges specially optimised for high-precision applications, such as robotics or indexing tables.
• Compact range
Very high positioning accuracy, available in a wide range of diameters (148 mm to over 2,400 mm).
• Compact Light
A lighter version of the Compact range, still designed for high precision.
4. ‘Compact CB’ slewing rings
Although the term ‘CB’ is not explicitly mentioned in the PDF, it generally refers to the Compact / Compact Light range, designed for applications requiring minimal space and superior precision.
5. Other complementary ranges:
• Three-row roller slewing rings
Slewing rings for extreme loads (offshore cranes, mining machinery).
• Hybrid slewing rings / thin sections
Alternatives combining bearings and slewing rings, for severe space constraints.
For further information, please consult the complete Rollix slewing ring catalogue in the media library on our website https://www.defontaine.com/en/media-library/
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Standard Rollix products can be purchased via our online shop https://b2b.defontaine.com/. You can also contact our sales team at sales@rollix.com or via our online form at https://www.defontaine.com/en/contact/. Our sales team will be able to put you in touch with the distributor in your area.
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The Rollix product catalogue, like all Rollix marketing materials, can be downloaded from the website: https://www.defontaine.com/en/media-library/. https://www.defontaine.com/mediatheque/.
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All our marketing materials can be downloaded from the website: https://www.defontaine.com/en/media-library/
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The slewing rings in the light-series range are the most economical.
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Our prices can be viewed on our online shop (https://b2b.defontaine.com/) or by sending your enquiry directly to our sales teams at sales@rollix.com or via the contact form on our websitehttps://www.defontaine.com/en/contact/
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Rollix documentation
All our catalogues, brochures, installation manuals and technical data sheets can be downloaded from the media library on our website: https://www.defontaine.com/en/media-library/
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We have a series of online tutorials on our YouTube channel to help you install and adjust the sprockets on a slewing ring: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfBLMW9HR0pBSVxm4mciTa2wCpmJYhPGN
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Rollix E-shop & distributors
We have slewing rings with external teeth in stock. To order directly, please visit our e-shop: https://b2b.defontaine.com/
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To find a Rollix distributor in your area, please contact our sales department either via the contact form on our website https://www.defontaine.com/contact/ or by email at sales@rollix.com, and we will put you in touch with your nearest distributor.
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Our Rollix e-shop https://b2b.defontaine.com/ allows you to order standard slewing rings directly online and have them delivered in under a week from our stock.
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Rollix services & maintenance
A significant proportion of our offering for the wind power market relates to maintenance and associated services: replacement rings, fasteners, seals and grease containers. On-site services include video inspection, seal replacement and ring inspection. Services carried out at our factories include lubricant analysis, ring retrofitting, root cause analysis and engineering.
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How do I request a quote for a Rollix replacement slewing ring (part number, photos, application)?
To provide a quotation for a Rollix slewing ring, if it is a standard part listed in our catalogue, our sales teams will need the part number, the quantities required, and the Incoterms associated with your request. Our standard parts can also be ordered directly via our online shop (https://b2b.defontaine.com/). If you would like our engineering teams to assist you in defining and designing a specific slewing ring, you will need to complete our IT ETR form (available for download from the media library on our website).
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Defontaine products
85% of our products are exported across five continents.
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Defontaine products are designed for the aerospace, helicopter and automotive markets.
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Defontaine manufactures flanges and sectors https://www.defontaine.com/en/product/flanges-and-sectors/, casings https://www.defontaine.com/en/product/casings/, automotive components https://www.defontaine.com/en/product/automotive-components/ and complex mechanical components https://www.defontaine.com/en/product/complex-mechanical-assemblies/.
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To purchase Defontaine brand products, please contact our sales team at sales@defontaine.com or via our form at https://www.defontaine.com/en/contact/
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Providers & SRM
Yes, the Defontaine Group has machining subcontractors within its supplier network.
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To become a supplier of industrial parts or services, please complete the form on the contact page of our website https://www.defontaine.com/en/contact/ or visit the SRM platform https://app11.jaggaer.com/portals/tksp/login?local=1?
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To become a supplier to the Defontaine Group, you must register on our supplier portal https://app11.jaggaer.com/portals/tksp/login?local=1 or contact us via our contact form https://www.defontaine.com/contact/.
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To register on our supplier platform, please visit: https://app11.jaggaer.com/portals/tksp/login?local=1
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The Defontaine Group does indeed have a dedicated platform for suppliers. To access it: https://app11.jaggaer.com/portals/tksp/login?local=1
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OTD/quality/procurement/technology&innovation/sustainability
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The Supplier Code of Conduct can be downloaded from our website: https://www.defontaine.com/en/media-library/
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For any issues, please contact us via our online contact form: https://www.defontaine.com/en/contact/
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Industrial solutions
Yes, at Rollix, we offer bespoke slewing rings in addition to our extensive range of standard products. As for our Defontaine brand, our products are tailored to meet our customers’ specific needs.
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The Defontaine Group understands that your technical requirements are unique. That is why we have set up the Fast Make service to reduce the production cycle for aerospace parts by 30 to 50% compared to a standard production cycle, by prioritising manufacturing using flexible resources. For more information, visit: https://www.defontaine.com/en/service-fast-make/
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