Needle Roller Thrust Bearings

Needle roller thrust bearings are fitted with a form-stable cage to reliably retain and guide a large number of needle rollers. Needle roller thrust bearings provide a high degree of stiffness within a minimum axial space. In applications where the faces of adjacent machine components can serve as raceways, needle roller thrust bearings take up no more space than a conventional thrust washer.The very small diameter deviation of the rollers within one assembly enables these bearings to accommodate heavy axial loads and peak loads.To prevent stress peaks, the roller ends are relieved slightly to modify the line contact between the raceway and rollers.When high axial load capacities are needed and envelope space is minimal, needle thrust bearings are an option. These bearings consist of a stamped or machined cage and rollers. The cage retaining the rollers is paired with thrust washers that act as raceways. Thrust bearings can be used without thrust washers when the faces of adjacent machine components can serve as raceways, allowing the machine to be even more compact. These bearings provide a high degree of stiffness and are most suitable where high accuracy is required at high speeds and under fluctuating heavy loads, such as machine tools and high-pressure pumps.