The Barden Corporation (UK) started life in 1947 as EMO Instrumentation. The founders, Bill Spencer and Stan Hensby, has several years of experience working in the Sperry Brentford gyro factory, cultivating their expertise in precision instrument bearings.

At a similar time in the United States, Theodore Barth and Carl Norden founded The Barden Corporation to make precision ball bearings for the Norden bombsight, a device used by bomber aircraft to assist in accurately dropping bombs on a ground target. Each bombsight utilised over sixty superior quality ball bearings which were manufactured to tolerances beyond the scope of technology available at the time.

After years of expansion, The Barden Corporation (US) purchased EMO Instrumentation and established The Barden Corporation (UK) Ltd in 1960. The company relocated to Plymouth on the South West coast of England in 1966 before being purchased by FAG in 1990. Alongside associated manufacturing plants in Germany, the USA and Canada, The Barden Corporation became part of the Aerospace and Super Precision Division of FAG in 1994 before being acquired by INA-Schaeffler KG in 2001 and becoming a member of the Schaeffler Group.

In an exciting new chapter of the company's life, on June 1, 2019, The Barden Corporation (UK) Ltd was acquired by German precision bearing manufacturer HQW Precision GmbH. The acquisition brought together two highly compatible businesses which hold a similar vision, and this strong synergy can especially be seen in their joint focus on technology, innovation and quality. Barden became HQW Aerospace (UK) Ltd in June 2023 and working alongside HQW Precision GmbH in Germany as "Partners in Precision", both companies have ambitious plans for growth and development in the precision bearings sector.