An needling machine and process needle a nonwoven fibrous web (2) fed in a direction of passage (3). A needling unit (5) with oscillatingly moved needles (11) is configured to needle and strengthen the nonwoven fibrous web (2). The needling unit (5) has a lifting drive (6) and parallel, linearly guided driving rods (15, 16) driven reversably thereby. The needling unit (5) has a supporting beam (8) connected to the needles (11) and extending in the direction of passage (3). Driving rods (15), arranged one after another in the direction of passage (3), are each connected to the supporting beam (8) via a respective beam bearing (18, 19) in an articulated manner. One of the beam bearings (18, 19), arranged one after another in the direction of passage (3), has an additional degree of freedom of motion.