A Needle Roller Bearing is a type of rolling contact bearing characterized by cylindrical rollers of very small diameter and relatively long length. These are also called 'quill' bearing. The needle bearings are used with or without inner or outer races. The needles are held in place by a cage or retainer, which also keeps them evenly spaced around the periphery of the shaft.

Attributes:
• Low coefficient of friction and less frictional loss in high-speed applications
• Large load carrying capacity particularly at low peripheral speeds
• Compact and lightweight, thus suitable for applications where space is limited

Applications:
A Needle Roller Bearing is used when heavy loads are to be carried with an oscillatory motion e.g. piston pin bearings in heavy duty diesel engines, where the reversal of motion tends to keep the rollers in correct alignment.