PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION

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Bearing Identification

Bearing Versions – Prefix & Suffix

Bearing Type Diagrams

Bearing Glossary

Bearing Part Number cross references

Other Products
Product FAQs

Links

Bearing Identification

Bearings can usually be identified easily using one of the following three methods.

Equipment Manuals

Marked Designations

Measurement and Description

If you have successfully identified your bearing and are experiencing problems locating products on our site, please try our help page or contact us for assistance.

If you are unable to identify your bearing we are able to assist with identification, please send the bearing to us with as much information about the application as possible. Please refer to the contact us page for address details.

Equipment manuals may clearly identify the bearings required with a part number. This part number can then be searched for in our online catalogue.

Most bearings have clearly marked designations on the side face of the inner or outer ring. For sealed bearings this designation is often on the seal. This number can then be searched for in our on line catalogue.

Where no part number is available Identification can also be made using the following steps.

Measurement: Measure the dimensions of the bearing in the following order.

These measurements can then be entered in the left hand search box (e.g. 30X62X16) or in the drop down dimension search boxes in the centre of the screen to find a list of possibilities.

Bearing Version: In the catalogue for ball bearings you can then select the following versions

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Bearing Types

If more than one type of bearing is available in the dimensions of your bearing, you may need to determine what type of bearing it is. The following diagrams should help you to determine this.

Ball bearings
 

Cylindrical roller bearings

Needle roller bearings

Tapered roller bearings

Spherical roller bearings

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Glossary

Ball Bearings
Cylindrical Roller Bearings
Spherical Roller Bearings
Tapered Roller Bearings
Thrust Bearings
Mounted Bearing Units

Ball Bearings

· Radial ball bearings will accommodate moderate to heavy radial loads and low to moderate thrust loads in either direction.
 

· Deep groove radial bearings are manufactured as open type bearings for oil or grease lubrication. They are also available with metal shields and/or seals for use where moderate contamination is present in the operation.

· Angular contact bearings are single row types used where radial and thrust loads are combined in the same application. They provide sufficient internal clearances to assume a specific contact angle under thrust loading and are available with angles of 15, 30 and 40 degrees.

· Double row bearings are manufactured both as filling slot and Conrad types, in light and medium series. The filling slot type has higher load capacity but the Conrad type provides a quieter operation and should be used when noise is a consideration.

· Self-Aligning bearings are manufactured with two rows of balls and one continuous spherical raceway in the outer ring. This allows for limited misalignment of the shaft and housing.

· Maximum capacity bearings are filling slot type bearings used in applications involving heavy radial loads and low speeds where thrust loads are comparatively low. The incorporated filling slots in the inner and outer rings so they can be loaded with additional balls for greater capacity.

· Mast guide bearings are bearings with a high load capacity, specially designed for use in fork lift trucks. These bearings are similar to single row or double row deep groove bearings but the outer race has a very thick cross-section which performs as a wheel or tire. Mast guide bearings can withstand heavy radial loads and occasional thrust loads. Mounted on the fork carriage they provide smooth action as the forks are raised and lowered.

· Integral shaft bearings include a shaft with bearing races machined on its O.D. The outer bearing ring, cage and rolling elements are mounted directly on the shaft and an inner ring is not required. These are commonly referred to as water pump bearings since that is a major application for them.

· Special bearings include Inch Series bearings, bearings made specifically for automotive air compressor applications and bearings made with special bore, width, or O.D.

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Cylindrical Roller Bearings

· NU style single row - NU style bearings have two machined flanges on the outer ring and no flanges on the inner ring.

· N Style single row - N style bearings have two machined flanges on the inner ring and no flanges on the outer ring, with rollers and cage on the inner ring. Like the NU style, the N has no thrust load carrying capability.

· NJ style single row - NJ style bearings have two machined flanges on the outer ring and a machined flange on one side of the inner ring. The roller and cage assembly is in the outer ring. The integral flange on the inner ring allows this bearing to carry an axial load.
 

· NF style single row - NF style bearings have two machined flanges on the inner ring and one flange on the outer ring, with roller and cage on the inner ring. Like the NJ bearing, these bearings have some thrust load capability.

· NH style single row - NH style bearings have two machined flanges on the outer ring and a machined flange on one side of the inner ring. A special-design inner ring allows use of a stabilizing ring on the non-flange side. As a result, these bearings can carry axial loads in both directions. The roller and cage assembly is mounted in the outer ring.

· NUP style single row - NUP style bearings are similar to the NJ style and come with a special ring often called a thrust collar. Mounted on the non-flange side of the inner ring, the thrust collar allows the bearing to carry an axial load in both directions. The thrust collar extends out of the bearing on one side, so the dimension across the inner ring is slightly greater than that of the outer ring.

· Double row styles (NN, NNU) - Double Row cylindrical roller bearings are denoted by two N's within the part number (e.g., NN or NNU). The dimensions for these can be found in the Super Precision section of this catalog and can be ordered with standard precision.
 

· S-Type - Sealed-Clean Bearings for chain conveyors demonstrate a high efficiency under high temperatures and wet conditions for a longer period with an improved sealing system. These bearings are packed with a quality grease of high thermal resistance and durability.

· Continuous Caster Roller Bearings - These are 2-split bearing units of a highly reliable design and feature a long service life. Cylindrical roller bearings with self-aligning rings having a proper alignment function.

· Four Row Cylindrical Roller Bearings - Are also popular roll neck bearings providing several benefits. First, the inner ring is separable form the outer ring and rollers which allows the inner ring to remain with the roll during grinding processes. This assures precise concentricity and negligible run-out providing for high rolling accuracy. Secondly, this design allows for greater radial load carrying and higher operating speeds. Four row cylindricals must be used in combination with a thrust bearing which is usually a two row taper, angular contact ball bearings, or a deep groove ball bearing depending on the thrust load present.

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Spherical Roller Bearings

· Spherical Roller Bearings - Are double row self-aligning bearings capable of carrying heavy radial loads combined with moderate thrust loads in either direction. They are extremely resistant to shock loads and their self-aligning feature allows full capacity loading despite shaft deflection.

· Continuous Caster Rollers - These are 2-split bearing units of a highly reliable design and feature a long service life. Cylindrical roller bearings with self-aligning rings having a proper alignment function.

· Spherical Roller Bearings TL Series - Excellent performance with high temperture equipment. High strength to prevent inner ring fractures.

· Shaker Screen Bearings - Are designed for vibrating applications such as screens, feeders and compactors. These are self-aligning spherical roller bearings designed to accommodate the high loads, static and dynamic misalignment characteristics, and severe environmental conditions inherent in these applications.

· Triple Ring Bearings - Are specially designed for use with controlled crown rolls used extensively in the paper industry. These high load capacity bearings provide "shaft within shaft" operation, while simplifying the surrounding structure and installation.

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Tapered Roller Bearings

· Four Row Tapered Roller Bearings Are very popular for use on roll necks. Most of these bearings are composed of two double cones (four Inner ring raceways), a cone spacer, two single cups (one at each end), one double cup (the center two raceways in the outer rings), and two cup spacers. They are very effective at operating under heavy radial and axial loads at low to moderate speeds. NSK four row tapered bearings are standardly supplied with carburized rings and rollers and are compatible with industry standards. "Sealed-Clean" bearings are four row tapers with seals for the harshest of operating environments. NSK's patented design provides the optimum sealing efficiency with only a slight loss of capacity.

· Two Row Tapered Roller Bearings Are very common as the back-up thrust bearing in a rolling mill or as the roll neck in lighter duty rolling mills. Two row tapers are designed in a variety of styles for different applications. Converging bearings (TDI, TDIE, TDIS) consist of one double cone and two single cups possibly with a cup spacer. Diverging bearings (TDO, TDOD, TDOC) consist of two single cones, a cone spacer, and one double cup.

Thrust Bearings

· Cylindrical roller thrust bearings (TMP) - These are thrust bearings containing cylindrical rollers. They can sustain only axial loads, but they are suitable for heavy loads and have high axial rigidity. The cages are machined brass.

· Tapered roller thrust bearings (TT, TTF or V-Flat) - These are thrust bearings containing tapered rollers. TT-type bearings, which have a rib on the housing washer, can accurately guide the shaft in the radial direction. TTF-type bearings, which have no rib on the housing washer, can tolerate some eccentricity during operation.

· The ball thrust bearings are designed to handle thrust loads while operating at high speeds. These bearings can be ordered with an aligning seat and aligning washer if misalignment or deflection can not be avoided.

· The spherical thrust bearings are designed to handle very heavy thrust loads in one direction while operating at low to moderate speeds. The design of the spherical thrust will also allow for some radial load while thrust load is imposed. The spherical shape of the outer ring raceway makes these bearings excellent for handling misalignment.

Ball bearing units

· Standard Duty Pillow Blocks bearings are mounted in rigid housings of simple construction. These are the most common pillow blocks and are used extensively for various kinds of power transmission in stationary equipment and machinery.
 

· Standard Duty, Low Base Pillow Blocks are basically the same design as standard pillow blocks, however the lower base provides a lower center of operation. This makes the unit particularly suitable when space between the center and the mounting base is limited.

· Cylindrical Cartridge Bearings are designed to provide shaft support where the shaft axis is perpendicular to and passing through a solid support, in a location where the cartridges can be mounted with a press rather than bolt flanges.

· Standard Duty, 4-bolt Flange units have square flanges which can be easily attached to a mounting surface with four bolts. This simple method of installation makes this unit convenient for applications where frequent disassembly may be required.

· Standard Duty, 4-bolt Flange have the same design as the set-screw type, however the distance between bearing center and flange back face is longer, to provide sufficient clearance to use a bearing with an eccentric locking collar.

· Standard Duty 2-bolt Flange units have a housing with an oval flange with two bolt holes for mounting. This type of unit is easily installed and is suitable where mounting space is limited or where it is necessary to minimize the distance between shafts.

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Bearing Part Number Cross references

Ball Bearing Cross References
Roller Bearing Cross References
Thrust Bearing Cross References
Mounted Bearing Unit Cross References

Ball bearing cross-references

     
Single Row Deep Groove Ball Bearings

       

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Double Row Ball Bearings

 

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Angular Contact (ABEC 1 & 3) Ball Bearings

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Roller bearing cross-references

Needle Roller Bearings

 

Cylindrical Roller Bearings

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Spherical Roller Bearings

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Tapered Roller Bearings
     

Inch Tapered Roller Bearings

Metric Tapered Roller Bearings

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Thrust bearing cross-references

Ball Thrust Bearings

   

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Ball Bearing Units
 

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Other Products
Circlips
Measure from outside to inside.
Circlip measurement is the nominal bore of the housing for Internal Circlips e.g. J size in MM,
and the nominal shaft diameter for External Circlips e.g. A size in MM.

      External (A)       Internal (J)


Rod Ends
Rod ends are identified by size and type.  Measure the inside diameter (ID) of the ball and the thread size (Generally the thread diameter is the same as the ball ID). Determine whether the rod end is a male or female type (as shown below).

    Male (POS)          

                    Female (PHS)
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Bearing FAQs

Is this bearing really stainless steel?
Some bearing customers will use a magnet to determine if a bearing is made of stainless steel based on the belief that the magnets are attracted to stainless steel.  When this test is used on a stainless steel bearing and the magnet is not attracted to the bearing they suspect it is not made of stainless steel.

Stainless steels can be divided into three basic groups based on their metallurgical structure: Austenitic, Ferritic, and Martensitic (and precipitation hardenable stainless steel). All Austenitic stainless steels are nonmagnetic although cold working of these steels can result in some magnetic properties.

Examples of austenitic stainless steels are Type 302, 304, and 316.

Ferritic, Martensitic and most precipitation hardenable stainless steels are magnetic.

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Links

For further in depth technical information about bearings please see http://www.rbibearing.com/technical/articlearchive.htm

Some of the information on this page was collected from our suppliers' websites, brochures, and other readily available industry information. 

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