Needle roller and cage assemblies are single or double row units comprising cages and needle rollers. The single row design is based on DIN 5 405-1.

Since its radial section height is equivalent to the diameter of the needle rollers, needle roller and cage assemblies allow bearing arrangements requiring only a very small radial design envelope. They have high load carrying capacity, are suitable for high speeds and are particularly easy to fit.

If the raceways are produced to high geometrical accuracy, bearing arrangements with high runout accuracy can be achieved.

The radial internal clearance can be influenced by the needle roller sort as well as by the shaft and housing tolerances.

Needle roller and cage assemblies require a hardened and ground raceway on the shaft and in the housing.

Double row needle roller and cage assemblies are only available in particular enveloping circle diameters F_W. These are indicated by the suffix ZW.

Needle roller and cage assemblies are supplied with standard needle roller sorts in accordance with the table. However, each needle roller and cage assembly is fitted with needle rollers of one sort only. The sort is printed on the packaging and is colour coded, see table.

The sorts are indicated by the upper and lower deviation (in μm), the maximum diameter tolerance is 2 μm, see table. In each case, two neighbouring needle roller sorts are matched as sort pairs.

Needle roller and cage assemblies with a plastic cage can be used at operating temperatures from –20 °C to +120 °C.

Needle roller and cage assemblies are available with plastic cages and sheet steel cages. Plastic cages have the suffix TV and are only available in particular sizes.

Needle roller and cage assemblies are also available in designs for connecting rod bearing arrangements:

• series KZK for crank pin bearing arrangements
• series KBK for piston pin bearing arrangements.

These needle roller and cage assemblies are described in detail in TPI 94, Needle roller and cage assemblies for crank pins and piston pins.

Suffixes for available designs: see table.