A typical bearing is the 6203ZZ bearing.

This part number

can be divided into it's components:
6203ZZ
which means:
Type ode
!eries
"ore
!u##i$
The type code indicates the type o# bearing. %hile each
manu#acturer uses their own numbers& there are a #ew
numbers that could be considered standard in the industry.
' !el#(Aligning "all "earing
This )ind o# ball bearing has a spherical outer race&
allowing the a$is o# the bearing to *wander around*. This
is important because misalignment is one o# the big causes
o# bearing #ailure.
2 !pherical +oller "earing
3 ,ouble(+ow Angular ontact "all "earing
,esigned to ta)e a$ial as well as radial loads.
- ,ouble(+ow "all "earing
,esigned #or heavy radial loads.
. Thrust "all "earing
/ntended #or e$clusively a$ial loads.
6 !ingle(+ow ,eep 0roove "all "earing
Typical ball bearing. 1andles light a$ial loads as well as
radial loads.
2 !ingle(+ow Angular ontact "earing
3or a$ial 4one direction only56 as well as radial loads.
7 3elt !eal
To assure that the entire inside edge o# the seal touches
the inner ring& the inner ring is enlarged. /# a bearing o#
more normal proportions is re8uired& the outer ring is also
enlarged& and the bearing is re#erred to as a *wide cup*
bearing.
32 Tapered +oller "earing
This is the )ind o# wheel bearings used in cars. The
rollers are not cylindrical& but conical. They handle large
raidal and a$ial loads.
+ /nch 49on(:etric6 "earing
;aries
9 ylindrical +oller "earing
/nstead o# balls& cylindrical rollers are used. These
bearings can handle much more radial load& but can handle
much less a$ial load& than ball bearings.
99 ,ouble(+ow +oller "earing
1andles greater radial loads than standard cylindrical
roller bearings.
9A 9eedle +oller "earing
9eedle bearings are basically roller bearings& but the
rollers are much smaller& ma)ing the bearing more compact.
;aries
Type 6& *single(row deep groove*& is perhaps the most
common type o# bearing.
/# the bearing is an inch bearing 4the #irst digit in the
number is an +6& then the si<e is the digit or digits
immediately #ollowing the +& in '6ths o# an inch. An +7(2+!
bearing& #or e$ample& has an 7='6th or '=2 inch bore.
/# the #irst digit is a number& however& it is a metric
bearing& and the second digit is the series& which re#lects
the robustness o# the bearing. The series are& #rom
lightest to heaviest: 7 >$tra thin section
? ;ery thin section
0 >$tra light
' >$tra light thrust
2 @ight
3 :edium
- 1eavy
Aes& they go in that order. 0otta )eep things simple& you
)now.
>ach o# these series also establishes a relationship
between the bore si<e& outer diameter& and thic)ness o# the
bearing& in accordance with /!B standards. / have no idea
what they are.
The third and #ourth digits indicate the bore si<e in
millimeters. >$cept #or 0 through 3& the bore si<e is
simply #ive times the third and #ourth digits together. 0
through 3& however& are di##erent: 00 '0mm
0' '2mm
02 '.mm
03 '2mm
/# there is no #ourth digit ( #or e$ample& a 607 bearing& a
common roller s)ate bearing ( then the si<e is the last
digit in millimeters.
The last letters indicate something special about the
bearing. 3or e$ample: Z !ingle shielded
ZZ ,ouble shielded
+! !ingle sealed
2+! ,ouble sealed
; !ingle non(contact seal
;; ,ouble non(contact seal
,,C ,ouble contact seals
9+ !nap ring and groove
: "rass cage
And then there are the completely o##(the(wall bearing
numbers& li)e -??.021. / have no idea what that number is
supposed to mean& but it applies to what is basically an
+'0(2+! bearing& only a bit thic)er and with a groove and
snap ring.
>$amples
ommon !)ate "earings
9umber "ore
4mm6 B.,.
4mm6 %idth
4mm6
607 7 22 2
622 2 22 2
677 7 '6 -
6?7 7 '? 6
All these bearing numbers start with 6& which tells us
they're !ingle(row deep groove ball bearings. The second
digits tell us the robustness o# the bearings. The last
two& in series 7 and ?& are very thin and lightweight
bearings& while the #irst& in series 0& is an *e$tra light*
bearing without being abnormally thin. The third bearing&
in series 2& is the most robust o# all& being
merely *light*.
@ight vs 1eavy omparison
onsider the #ollowing three bearings: 9umber "ore
mm B.,.
mm Thic)ness
mm
60'0(2+! .0 70 '6
62'0(2+! .0 ?0 20
63'0(2+! .0 ''0 22
%e can see #rom the part numbers that they're all .0mm
single(row deep groove ball bearings. 1owever& we can also
see that they're each a di##erent seriesD speci#ically&
>$tra @ight& @ight& and :edium. ompare the B.,. and
thic)ness o# each bearing& and you can see how the >$tra
@ight bearing 4series 06 is the smallest& and the :edium
"earing 4series 36 is the largest. The larger bearing can
ta)e much more load than the smaller bearing& though how
much depends on the manu#acturer and the +E: the bearing is
run at.
9umber "ore
mm B.,.
mm Thic)ness
mm
6?0-(2+! 20 32 ?
600-(2+! 20 -2 '2
620-(2+! 20 -2 '-
630-(2+! 20 .2 '.
These are all 20mm single(row deep groove ball bearings o#
di##erent series. The #irst& o# series ?& is a *very thin
section* bearing& meaning it is much thinner than usual (
it is only 2.F as thic) as its B.,.& while the others are
appro$imately 30F as thic) as their B.,.