NSK develops Low-noise Thrust Needle Roller Bearing

Contributes to electrification of automotive components NSK Ltd. (NSK; Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; President and CEO: Toshihiro Uchiyama) has developed a low-noise thrust needle roller bearing to meet the needs of automotive electrification. Utilizing new low-noise technology and design, the bearing contributes to creating a more comfortable driving experience when using the electric motor in electric vehicles (EV) and in plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHV). NSK is targeting 1.5 billion Yen in sales of this bearing by 2021. Development Background Around the world, consumers and regulators alike have put more environmentally friendly EV and PHV in the spotlight, and the rapid development of these vehicles is changing the face of the auto industry. Compared to combustion engines, electric motors are much quieter, so noises previously masked by the sound of the engine have come to stand out. To address this, NSK took on the challenge of reducing the noise produced by needle bearings, which are used in automotive transmissions and a wide range of other applications. Product Features We reduced the noise produced by thrust needle roller bearings by 10% by redesigning the roller, race, and cage components of the bearing. Thrust bearings primarily produce noise in three areas. We redesigned the bearing components to address each area as follows.