Tokyo, Japan, December 19, 2011 – NSK Ltd. (NSK; Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; President and CEO: Norio Otsuka) today announced that it has developed a low-torque tappet roller bearing for automobile engines. Through the use of special heat treatment, the new bearing achieves extended life and increased capacity in a more compact, lighter solution. NSK aims to contribute to improved fuel economy with this product and is targeting 1.5 billion yen in sales in 2016.
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Press Release
NSK Develops a Low-torque Tappet Roller Bearing for Automobile Engines
More Compact and Lighter, Lower Torque Achieved With Special Heat Treatment
Development background
In recent years, as environmental awareness has increased, the demand for greater fuel economy in cars has risen, which has resulted in the need for improving fuel economy in engines by means such as reducing size, weight and torque loss. This, in turn, has resulted in the pursuit of an even greater level of efficiency as developers sought to improve peripheral engine parts and introduce a variable valve timing mechanism. This product contributes to higher engine efficiency through the following superior features.
Technology features
- ◆Improved rolling fatigue life achieved with special heat treatment
- Special heat treatment of the tappet roller bearing's roller and shaft delivers twice the life of the conventional product. This, in turn, enabled weight to be reduced by about 20% while maintaining the same long bearing life.
- ◆Lower torque through size and weight reduction
- Through the application of life-extending technology, weight and size have been reduced, resulting in 30 to 40% lower torque than the conventional product.
Product benefits
- Contributes to improved fuel economy for cars by making it possible to reduce the size and weight of the engine.
- The reduced size and weight of the engine makes it possible to increase the number of parts in the limited engine space for implementing recent engine technologies such as a variable valve mechanism.
