Needle roller bearings is a type of bearing that features thin “needle-like” rollers as opposed to the balls that feature on their more famous cousins, ball bearings. This type of bearing is known for its smaller, rigid and more durable design, offering a smaller coefficient of friction, allowing them to transfer motion on rotating surfaces easily.
Components of a Needle Roller Bearing
Needle roller bearings have several components that vary depending on the design of the bearing;
The needle rollers
These are the load-carrying components of the bearing. They are a common component in all needle roller-bearing types. They allow the outer and inner rings to rotate almost friction-free. In most cases, the needle rollers in most cases are manufactured from steel alloy, but we can supply them in other preferable materials as well, depending on the requirements of the project.
Raceways
Not all needle roller bearings have raceways. When present, the raceway serves to guide the roller within the bearing. Naturally, the inner and outer rings are designed to fit closely, but a minimal amount of clearance is necessary to account for variances like thermal expansion. The raceways ensure the rollers don’t skip out of place while under load.
In most bearings, the raceways are made from carbon chromium steel, but other alloys can also be used to improve core features such as hardness, fatigue resistance and dimensional stability.
Cages
Bearing cages separate the rollers to keep the load evenly distributed around the bearing. They also reduce bearing noise, help improve rolling conditions and prevent sliding.
The cages also contain rollers within a single assembly. The most commonly used material for bearing cages is steel. But other materials can also be used where operating conditions permit. Also, some bearings, like the drawn cup needle roller, can be designed without a cage and often come with a full complement of needle rollers. These come with an inward-turned lip to retain the rollers in the bearing ring.
Types of Needle Bearings
TFC supplies various types of needle bearings with varying features to suit different applications and project preferences. Available options include;
Cage needle bearings
Drawn cup needle bearings
This is the most common type of needle bearing. They have a deep but thin-walled outer ring drawn from sheet metal. The bearing bore is commonly left open but can also be capped on one side. The bearing is intended to fit over a shaft and operate smoothly without an inner ring.
Under this type of needle bearing, you will find other sub-types, including the drawn cup with a cage and open ends, the drawn cup with a cage and one closed end and the full complement of bearings with both ends open.
Needle roller bearings
Needle roller bearings are used for higher load-carrying applications and often come with machined rings. They also come in other sub-types, including needle roller bearings with machined rings and inner rings and those without. The bearings without the inner rings are used with hardened ground shafts, while those with inner rings are used in applications where a hardened ground shaft is not feasible.
Partner with TFC
TFC is a leading and strategic needle bearings supplier with years of experience supplying industrial parts to suppliers and private clients. For over six decades and drawing from the experience and reputation of our parent company, AFC, we’ve provided bespoke and high-quality bearing solutions and collaborated with the largest companies in different industries to make their projects a reality.
We also offer an efficient, state-of-the-art vendor-managed inventory system for our C-Class solutions, allowing our suppliers to maximise profits and efficiency in their operations.
Follow us