Designation Systems / Angular Contact Ball Bearings
Angular Contact Ball Bearing Designation System
A single row angular contact ball bearing designation is a basic designation (dimension series + bore code) plus optional suffixes that describe the contact angle, internal design, cage, seals, clearance and matching. The raceways are displaced obliquely to the axis, so axial load is carried in one direction only and the bearing is adjusted against a second bearing. Each manufacturer publishes its own designation system — the tables below put the five brands that catalogue this type side by side.
Anatomy of a Designation
7205 BECBM
Example shown in SKF style
7205Basic designation — 72 (light) series, bore code 05 = 25 mm
BContact angle, internal design & matchingContact angle 40° (suffix AC = 25°)
EContact angle, internal design & matchingOptimised internal design
CBContact angle, internal design & matchingUniversally matchable pair, normal axial clearance
MCageMachined brass cage, ball centred
Bore code (last two digits of the basic designation)
00 = 10 mm bore01 = 12 mm bore02 = 15 mm bore03 = 17 mm bore04 and up = bore (mm) = code × 510 / 02 / 03 / 19 / 18 = dimension series written 70 / 72 / 73 / 719 / 718
SKF
Contact angle, internal design & matching
| B | Contact angle 40° |
| AC | Contact angle 25° |
| E | Optimised internal design (SKF Explorer) |
| CA / CB / CC | Pair of universally matchable bearings — axial clearance smaller than / equal to / larger than Normal |
| G | Normal axial clearance, standard for larger bearings |
Seals
| -2RZ | Non-contact seal on both sides |
| -2RS1 | Contact seal (NBR) on both sides |
Cage
| P | Glass fibre reinforced PA66 cage, ball centred |
| PH | PEEK cage, ball centred |
| Y | Stamped brass cage, ball centred |
| M | Machined brass cage, ball centred |
Clearance & preload
| GA / GB / GC | Pair of universally matchable bearings — light / moderate / heavy preload |
Series names
| 70xx | Light series (ISO dimension series 10) |
| 72xx | Light series (ISO 02) |
| 73xx | Medium series (ISO 03) |
| 719xx / 718xx | Extra-light series (ISO 19 / 18) |
NSK
Contact angle, internal design & matching
| C | Contact angle 15° |
| A5 | Contact angle 25° |
| A | Contact angle 30° |
| B | Contact angle 40° |
| EA | High load capacity internal design |
| DB / DF / DT | Matched pair arrangement: back-to-back / face-to-face / tandem |
Cage
| (none) | Pressed steel cage (standard) |
| M / TYN / T | Machined brass / polyamide / phenolic resin cage options |
Clearance & preload
| C2 / CN / C3 | Radial internal clearance smaller than / equal to / greater than Normal |
Series names
| 79xx | Extra-light series (ISO 19; ISO designation 719xx) |
| 70xx | Light series (ISO 10) |
| 72xx | Light series (ISO 02) |
| 73xx | Medium series (ISO 03) |
Schaeffler (FAG)
Contact angle, internal design & matching
| B | Contact angle 40° |
| -XL | X-life (higher performance density) design |
Seals
| -2RS | Lip (contact) seals on both sides |
Cage
| JP | Sheet steel cage, ball centred |
| TVP / TVH | Glass fibre reinforced PA66 cage, ball centred |
| MP / M | Solid brass cage, ball centred |
Clearance & preload
| C2 / CN / C3 / C4 | Radial internal clearance smaller than / equal to / greater than / much greater than Normal |
Series names
| 70xx | Light series (ISO 10) |
| 72xx | Light series (ISO 02) |
| 73xx | Medium series (ISO 03) |
| 74xx | Heavy series (ISO 04) |
| 718xx | Extra-light series (ISO 18) |
NTN
Contact angle, internal design & matching
| (none) | Contact angle 30° |
| B | Contact angle 40° |
| DB / DF / DT | Duplex arrangement: back-to-back / face-to-face / tandem |
Clearance & preload
| CN / C3 | Normal / greater than normal radial internal clearance |
Series names
| 79xx | Extra-light series (ISO 19; ISO designation 719xx) |
| 70xx | Light series (ISO 10) |
| 72xx / 72B | Light series (ISO 02), plain = 30°, B = 40° contact angle |
| 73xx / 73B | Medium series (ISO 03), plain = 30°, B = 40° contact angle |
Timken
Contact angle, internal design & matching
| WN / W / K | Single row angular contact, 7000WN product family |
Cage
| (none) | Pressed steel cage |
| MBR | Printed for the larger 7000WN sizes (meaning to be confirmed in the catalog notes) |
Series names
| 72xxWN | Light series (ISO 02), 7000WN product family |
| 73xxWN | Medium series (ISO 03) |
| 74xx | Heavy series (ISO 04) |
Good to Know
- Contact angle: 40° is the standard single row angle for SKF (suffix B), Schaeffler (FAG) (-B) and NSK (B); NTN writes 30° plain and 40° with a trailing B; NSK also offers 15° (C), 25° (A5) and 30° (A); SKF AC is 25° and a 30° version is available on request.
- The same bearing is written differently by each brand: SKF 7205 BEP, Schaeffler (FAG) 7205-B-XL-JP, NSK 7205A, NTN 7205, Timken 7205WN.
- The dimension series is part of the basic designation and is not a separate code: 70 = ISO 10, 72 = ISO 02, 73 = ISO 03, 74 = ISO 04, 719 = ISO 19, 718 = ISO 18. NTN writes the 19 series as 79xx where the ISO designation is 719xx.
- A single bearing carries axial load in one direction only. Bearings are therefore adjusted against a second bearing, or supplied as universally matchable pairs (SKF CA/CB/CC, NSK DB/DF/DT, NTN DB/DF/DT) that can be mounted back-to-back, face-to-face or in tandem without further matching.
- Cages differ by brand and size: pressed steel is the default for NSK, NTN and Timken; SKF and Schaeffler (FAG) use glass fibre reinforced PA66 (P, TVP/TVH), PEEK (PH), stamped or machined brass (Y, M, MP) depending on the suffix and size.
- Four-point contact ball bearings (QJ series) share the angular contact chapter but are a separate structure, designed to take axial load in both directions; they are not covered by this page.
- Availability of a suffix varies by size — always confirm the exact designation in the manufacturer catalog you are ordering from.
Disclaimer: Data on this page is compiled from publicly available online sources for reference only, and not every model appears in a manufacturer's published catalog. Values may differ between sources and editions — always verify against the manufacturer's current documentation before design or purchase.Full disclaimer →
