Schaeffler’s XZU Conical Thrust Cage Needle Roller Bearing for Robotics
Schaeffler was a runner-up in this year’s prestigious Hermes Awards at Hannover Messe 2025. The nomination was for a newly developed XZU needle roller bearing.
Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of Schaeffler AG, said that many years of experience went into the bearing’s design. The motion technology company’s engineers noted that it is well-suited for articulated-arm applications.
The bearing is characterized by a double-row X arrangement of needle rollers in a larger number of load-carrying rolling elements and larger support spacing. This increases the rigidity of XZU bearings by 30% compared to conventional crossed roller bearings. In addition, housing the rolling elements in cage guides and having them configured in two raceways means the XZU can deliver an additional 20% reduction in friction, said Rosenfeld through a translator at a press conference.
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Schaeffler reported that the advancements in design and construction enhance efficiency, productivity and energy consumption per component. The rolling bearing has applications in robotics, including humanoids, assembly automation and machine tools.
Special Performance Improvements for Robotics Applications
The XZU bearing can be easily retrofitted in existing lightweight robots and cobots. Schaeffler noted XZU bearings offer higher load-carrying capacity and longer operating life than typical crossed roller bearings.
The need for various types of rotary joints is on the rise due to the increased demand for robots and cobots. Schaeffler pointed out in the nomination brief that the XZU have needle roller cages that ensure smooth motion and prevent skewing. This is a significant advancement because conventional crossed roller bearings have almost square rolling elements that tend to produce torque fluctuations and are prone to leaking. The XZU bearings feature specially developed cages that are not prone to leakage.
Schaeffler’s engineers said that the XZU bearings have the same mounting dimensions as convention crossed roller bearings and can therefore be replaced easily.
“Practical tests have shown that with a six-axis cobot, which was converted from a crossed roller bearing to the XZU, the deviation of the trajectory curve at a speed of 800 mm/s was reduced by 40%, without adjusting the control parameters,” according to Schaeffler.
This means motion accuracy has been improved, which boosts the efficiency of machines, they said.
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The Schaeffler extended product range and expertise in Germany was the central focus this year. Schaeffler is taking full advantage of the large international trade fair by showcasing the expanded range of technologies in its portfolio following the merger of Vitesco Technologies in October 2024.
Motion remains the core focus, reiterated Rosenfeld during his presentation. The product portfolio has resulted in eight subdivisions or “product families” since the merger, covering drive technology, energy generation and sustainable service solutions.
“We aim to become a technology company that designs motion in its full diversity with a focus on the future,” said Rosenfeld. “In doing so, we are supported not only by our broad technology portfolio, particularly in the manufacturing sector, but also by our newly aligned eight product families, which encompass all business activities of our four divisions.”
He added that the company will harness cross-divisional synergy to enhance its presence in “future-defining segments.” The growing field of humanoid robots is earmarked as one of these segments.
