**6. Conclusions**

In this study, the tailored forming technology was successfully implemented for manufacturing of bearing components. Using plasma-transferred arc welding, classical bearing steel AISI 52100 was cladded on AISI 1022M basic steel and subsequently formed by upsetting. It served as cladding material for a rolling bearing raceway, which was investigated in bearing fatigue tests. The following conclusions can be drawn:


If the defects could be reduced or even completely prevented, a very high potential for improving the performance of tailored forming components opens up. In this context, follow-up investigations should consider in particular an optimization of the welding process by means of preheating and adapted welding materials as well as an increase in the degree of forming.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, C.B., M.M., T.C.; investigation, C.B., F.S., M.Y.F., C.K., V.P., M.M., A.C., T.M., T.C.; writing—original draft preparation, C.B., F.S., M.Y.F., C.K., V.P., M.M., A.C., T.C.; writing—review and editing, F.P., F.N., T.H., B.B., L.B., J.H., B.-A.B., H.J.M., B.D., L.O., G.P.; visualization, C.B., F.S., M.Y.F., C.K., V.P., M.M., A.C., T.C.; supervision, F.P., F.N., T.H., B.B., B.-A.B., H.J.M., B.D., L.O., G.P. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This research was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under gran<sup>t</sup> number 252662854.

**Acknowledgments:** The results presented in this paper were obtained within the Collaborative Research Centre 1153 "Process chain to produce hybrid high performance components by Tailored forming"—252662854—in the subprojects A2, A4, B2, B4, C1, and C3. The authors thank the German Research Foundation (DFG) for their financial support of this project.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.
