Needle roller bearings have cylindrical rollers that are small in diameter compared to the length. These type of bearings have a long track record as proven machine elements for the design of radially compact bearing arrangements with very high load-carrying capacity. In Schaeffler’s X-life configuration, they now have an up to 50% longer service life.

Needle roller bearings are rolling bearings with a low radial section height and high load carrying capacity, which are used as non-locating bearings and are part of the group of radial needle roller bearings. These bearings comprise machined outer rings, needle roller and cage assemblies and removable inner rings, i. e. they can be supplied with or without an inner ring in accordance with the application. In contrast to the outer cups of drawn cup needle roller cups, which are produced by forming methods, the bearing rings are machined. Due to their non-locating bearing function, the bearings cannot guide the shaft axially in either direction.

Features

• Can support high to very high radial forces
• Used when the load carrying capacity or accuracy of drawn cup needle roller bearings with open ends is no longer sufficient and the high load capacity of cylindrical roller bearings is not yet required
• Can only support radial loads and, as a result, are highly suitable for use as non-locating bearings (they permit axial displacement of the shaft relative to the housing in the bearing)
• Permit high speeds in spite of line contact
• Compensate misalignments between the shaft and housing (aligning needle roller bearings)
• Require only a very small radial design envelope, particularly if the bearing arrangement is designed without an inner ring
• Are available in numerous sizes and designs
• Result in particularly compact, cost-effective and economical bearing arrangements

Variants of needle roller bearings include:

• Machined needle roller bearings
• Needle roller and cage assemblies
• Drawn cup needle roller bearings with open ends
• Drawn cup needle roller bearings with closed ends
• Aligning needle roller bearings
• Inner rings
• Axial needle roller bearings
• Drawn-cup roller clutches