Boosting Energy Efficiency with Low-Friction & Circular Models

In an interaction with Thiruamuthan, Assistant Editor at Industry Outlook, Sujeeth Pai, Director - Manufacturing Operations, for India, Southeast Asia and Middle East (ISEAM), SKF India (Industrial) Limited, discusses how low-friction machine designs are crucial for reducing energy consumption and environmental impact across manufacturing sectors in India. He highlights the integration of low-friction systems with circular manufacturing principles to improve energy efficiency, extend equipment life, reduce waste, and drive sustainability in various industries. Sujeeth Pai, a seasoned business leader with over 17 years of experience in global technology and industrial sectors, excels in change management, distribution strategy, and P&L leadership. He combines strong technical expertise with strategic vision, driving operational excellence and innovation.

As India focuses on energy efficiency and industrial output, how is low-friction machine design contributing to reducing energy consumption across manufacturing sectors?

As India sharpens its focus on energy efficiency while scaling industrial output, low-friction design can no longer remain a component-level improvement, but rather a part of system-level strategy. Friction remains one of the largest hidden energy drains in industrial operations. Reducing it across rotating equipment, bearings and mechanical interfaces, manufacturers can significantly cut energy consumption, extend equipment life and lower total lifecycle costs.

At SKF India (Industrial), this principle is embedded in our engineering approach. One of the instances is of our energy-efficient deep groove ball bearings which have shown to double bearing's service life while reducing COâ‚‚ emissions by over 25%, as validated by leading Indian OEMs.

Across sectors such as textiles, sugar processing and heavy industries- where rotary machinery drives core operations- friction is often the primary source of energy loss. By combining low-friction bearing design with advanced condition monitoring, we enable up to 30% friction reduction, extend asset life and significantly reduce unplanned downtime.

With circular manufacturing gaining traction, how are low-friction systems integrated into production lines to optimize energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact?

With circular manufacturing gathering momentum, low-friction systems are increasingly being integrated into production lines to maintain sustained actions throughout the chain. For example, at SKF Industrial, circularity is embedded at every stage, most importantly design through modular bearing architectures that enable easier disassembly, refurbishment and lifecycle extension.

We launched integrated circularity platforms last year, one that combines low-friction bearings with AI-powered condition monitoring, enabling sugar mills to extend bearing life by up to 10 years while cutting lead times 5x.

These systems shine in high-intensity sectors like cement and steel, where sealed spherical roller bearings reduce grease consumption by 99% and support closed-loop refurbishment replacing only worn surfaces to retain 80% of original materials. This substantially reduces virgin steel demand and Scope 3 emissions across the value chain- an outcome of practical circularity. That is the edge Indian manufacturers need as they compete in a fast-evolving, performance-driven industrial landscape.

Leader's Thoughts: Why Bearing Selection is Critical to Machinery Lifespan and Performance

Given the growing demand for sustainable practices, how can India’s industries adopt circular manufacturing models to cut waste and improve energy savings?

India’s transition to circular manufacturing requires moving from intent to structured, measurable action. Certified remanufacturing programs where up to 80% of bearing components are refurbished instead of discarded can significantly cut waste and reduce demand for virgin materials, particularly in cement, steel and heavy industries.

At our Pune facility, SKF’s RecondOil system demonstrates this perfectly, reducing honing oil contamination from 20 mg/l to under 8 mg/l while saving 2000L of hydraulic oil and avoiding 8000kg COâ‚‚ emissions through continuous oil purification. Deploying such solutions can drastically reduce contamination, extend lubricant life, and minimize fluid disposal, thus, help industries immensely in reducing operational costs and environmental impact. Cement plants and steel mills adopting these cut new part demand by 90%, dramatically lowering Scope 3 emissions.

As for sectors like textile and sugar, benefit from modular low-friction bearings designed for disassembly, enabling multiple refurbishment cycles that extend service life 5x while eliminating premature disposal.

As energy efficiency becomes a priority, how can low-friction machine designs be used alongside circular manufacturing principles to maximize sustainability in production?

Addressing friction becomes fundamental as energy efficiency moves from ambition to operational priority. For us to get there, low-friction engineering integration with circular manufacturing principles will get us closer to driving real impact.

This means designing components that are not only energy-efficient but also longer-lasting, repairable and recyclable. Optimized lubrication systems, advanced materials, precision engineering and condition monitoring technologies allow industries to move from reactive maintenance to predictive performance- reducing waste, downtime and material consumption.

Equally important is building an ecosystem mindset. Suppliers, OEMs and end-users must collaborate early in the design phase to optimize entire systems, not just individual parts. Digital tools, modelling and data analytics now enable simulation-led design improvements that unlock both energy and carbon savings at scale.

This is where “low friction, more progress” becomes more than a slogan. When low-friction innovation meets circularity and digital intelligence, sustainability shifts from being a compliance objective to a competitive edge, thereby driving long-term industrial performance.

Also Read: Defense & Aerospace Indigenization: Shift to Domestic Manufacturers

With a push for circular manufacturing, how can industries implement low-friction designs to drive energy savings and reduce resource consumption in India?

Circular manufacturing will be fundamental to how India will scale, sustainably. The starting point is simple: industries must reassess where they are today and define where they want to be in terms of energy intensity, material usage and lifecycle impact. That shift begins at the design stage.

Low-friction design is about solving efficiency from the ground-up. When rotating equipment, bearings and mechanical systems are engineered to minimize friction, the result is immediate and measurable - lower energy consumption, reduced heat loss, longer service life and less material waste. But the bigger opportunity lies in designing solutions that are durable, repairable and supported by predictive maintenance technologies. That is where circularity truly comes alive.

In this space, we are already witnessing strong outcomes in sectors such as renewable energy, railways, metals and heavy industry where optimized bearing solutions, advanced lubrication systems and condition monitoring are delivering energy savings and extending asset life cycles. This cuts across all sectors that power India’s growth.

Looking forward, how will the integration of low-friction machine designs with circular manufacturing models reshape India’s industrial practices, driving greater energy efficiency and sustainability?

For me, the true milestone for Indian manufacturing will be when low-friction design and circularity are no longer treated as separate initiatives, but as a hygiene factor- built into every industrial decision by default.

When low-friction engineering is integrated with circular manufacturing models, the impact is transformative. Machines consume less energy, generate less heat, last longer, and require fewer material replacements. Combine that with repairability, remanufacturing, predictive maintenance and smarter lifecycle management, and you fundamentally reshape how assets are designed, used and renewed.