Mounted bearings combine a bearing mounted inside a housing unit. The bearing housing replaces the need for a casting or weldment to position the bearing securely for reliable operation, and its design determines the type of insert bearing. Insert bearings use rolling elements (ball, cylindrical, spherical, barrel, needle, spindled, or tapered) to maintain the separation between moving parts to reduce rotational friction, and to support radial and axial loads. Available in a variety of materials and mounting configurations, mounted bearings can be one- or two-piece, they can have an extended inner ring and locking device, and they can have seals and end caps that retain lubrication and protect the working parts of the bearing from environmental debris. Mounted bearings support shafts in a variety of mounting configurations (flange block, hanger, pillow block, and take-up block), and are used in a range of applications from light duty shaft guidance on conveyors to road building equipment and crushers.NTN manufactures ball bearings, spherical, tapered, cylindrical, and needle roller bearings, and automotive constant velocity joints. The company, founded in 1918, is headquartered in Osaka, Japan.