Needle Roller Bearings Market

Needle Roller Bearings Market: Introduction

The roller bearing clan comprises of tapered, cylindrical, needle and spherical bearings. The needle roller bearings are the lightest and the smallest of them all and hence the name. They have significant designing which can be used in various applications. Their size gives them edge in certain applications where less weight and less space are concerned. The ratio of the length of the roller and the diameter of the roller is very high making them look like needles and hence the name given to these type of bearings. The needle roller bearings have many configurations. There are different types of needle roller bearings – needle rollers, drawn-cup needle roller bearings, needle roller and cage assemblies, heavy duty needle bearings, thrust needle roller and cage assemblies, track rollers and airframe needle bearings. To reduce the stress concentrations at the roller-end or deflection of the raceways due to load, controlled contours have been developed. The needle rollers are commonly used in planetary gears, U joints and constant mesh gears. The drawn up needle roller bearings are used in pulley supports, general gear box shaft supports, pilot bearings and gear pumps. The needle roller and cage assemblies are used in constant mesh gears, planetary gears, connecting rods and idler gears. Heavy duty needle bearings find their use in hydraulic pumps, heavy machines and steering gear. The thrust needle roller and cage assemblies are designed in such a way that they can carry axial loads in restricted spaces and can bear high speeds. They are commonly used in automatic transmissions as they provide lesser friction in restricted space. Track rollers serve on track type or cam controlled equipment. Their design allows them to withstand heavy shock and rolling activity owing to a thick ring on the outer side. They are used in applications such as cam followers, machine ways and mast rollers. Airframe needle bearings are designed to accomplish certain tasks and fulfil needs of the aircrafts in airframe applications. They are used in airframe applications such as pivot positions, slats and wing flaps. There are certain variations provided by the manufacturers of the needle roller bearings, to name a few, there are seals, re-lubrication provisions, plastic cages and close ends.

Needle Roller Bearings Market: Factors impacting the bearing operations while using needle bearings

Not just the right needle for the concerned task but there are certain factors that need to be taken into consideration which affect the bearing operation – Lubrication, Hardness, Raceway Surface finish and geometry of the housing. Typically oil lubrication is opted as it prevents contamination, acts as coolant, permits high speeds and easier to introduce in the system. They enhance the operating efficiency, durability and life of the bearings. The raceway material finish and hardness shows a direct correlation to the efficiency of the bearing performance. The better the finish the better would be the performance and vice- versa. The quality of the raceway finish determines the life of the lubricating film. Better finishing maintains good life of the lubricating film. Proper geometry is essential as any miscalculation or errors in geometry of the housing can result in increased stress concentrations and early and quick failure of the needle roller bearings.

Needle Roller Bearings Market: Trends and Applications

The recent developments in technology has initiated many trends in the bearing market. In the needle roller bearing space, the trend emphasizes on reduction in weight, energy consumption and space. Thin cross section and lighter weight of the bearings provides a rock solid solution to solve problems due to friction. The needle roller bearings are widely used in industries like automotive, two cycle engine sectors, construction equipment and agricultural equipment. In these industries, they are commonly used in transmission, U joints, gear box applications, suspensions, torque converters and auxiliary equipment. As far as domestic appliances are concerned, they are used in pump clutches, idler pulleys, spindles, portable power tools, etc. The needle roller bearings are hugely benefiting the auto engine sector. Here the use of special needle roller bearings help reduce friction at important points of contact. They also serve in certain car engine applications such as the rocker arm pivot position. The developments in surface finish characteristics, contact stress analysis related to bearings and the manufacturing methods and practices have elevated the opportunities for increased adoption of the needle roller bearings. The optimization in the geometry of components gives customization assurance to certain specific niche application areas.

Needle Roller Bearings Market: Growth Drivers

The factors that contribute to the growth of the needle roller bearings market are:

• Ability to withstand more rigid and larger shaft in various application areas
• High load bearing capacity than single row ball bearings or roller bearings
• Lower costs
• Excellent characteristics with respect to rolling and within a very small cross section
• Technological advancements innovating new developments in the needle roller bearings sector making them more useful and accepted in many industries and for critical applications

Needle Roller Bearings Market: Key Companies

The key players or manufacturers in the needle roller bearings are SKF, AST bearings, NTN Corporation, Schaeffler Group, Timken Company, NSK Ltd., Koyo Seiko, San Yun Industrial co. Ltd., LELI SRL and SNL Bearings Limited.

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