7201 bearing: complete specifications & equivalents
The 7201 is a ISO 15 radial bearing sized 12 x 32 x 10 mm (bore x OD x width). Verify dimensions against the official catalog before ordering.
Specification table
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | SKF |
| Bore diameter d | 12 mm |
| Outer diameter D | 32 mm |
| Width B | 10 mm |
| Material | GCr15 |
| Seal / shield | open |
| Internal clearance | CN |
| Tolerance class | P0 |
| Cage | polymer (PA66 glass-fibre reinforced) |
| Basic dynamic load rating C | 7.61 kN |
| Basic static load rating C0 | 3.8 kN |
| Fatigue load limit Pu | 0.16 kN |
| Reference speed (thermal) | 28000 rpm |
| Limiting speed (mechanical) | 26000 rpm |
| Operating temperature | -40 to +120 °C |
| Mass | 36 g |
| Manufacturer designation | SKF 7201 BEP |
| Standard | ISO 15 |
| Catalog version | SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018), ch. 3.1 single-row ACBB |
| Last verified | 2026-09-26 |
Source: catalog reference (SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018), ch. 3.1 single-row ACBB) · extracted 2026-09-26
Parameters extracted from the official SKF Rolling Bearings catalogue (SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018), ch. 3.1 single-row ACBB); SKF® and SKF Explorer® are trademarks of AB SKF, used here for identification only — mpnbase is not an authorized SKF distributor. Boundary dimensions are ISO 15 interchangeable; current production values may differ, verify at skf.com.
Dimensions in inches & 7200-series range
| Bore d | 0.472 in |
|---|---|
| Outer diameter D | 1.26 in |
| Width B | 0.394 in |
| ISO bore code | 01 |
| Radial section height (D−d)/2 | 10 mm |
| Smallest bore in 7200-series | 10 mm |
| Largest outer diameter in 7200-series | 540 mm |
| Width range across 7200-series | 9–85 mm |
| Bore position in 7200-series (smallest first) | 2 of 36 |
| Bore above smallest 7200-series size | 2 mm |
Cross references & equivalents
| Equivalent model | Brand | Match level | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7201-NTN | NTN | full Dimensions and internal design equivalent — standard interchange. | Identical ISO 15 envelope, seal and ratings band — standard interchange; re-verify precision class and clearance per supplier. |
| 6201 | SKF | verify Commonly quoted cross reference; confirm against the target catalog before ordering. | Identical envelope but a different bearing type — confirm load and speed suitability before substitution. |
| 6201-2RS | SKF | verify Commonly quoted cross reference; confirm against the target catalog before ordering. | Identical envelope but a different bearing type — confirm load and speed suitability before substitution. |
| 6201-RSR | SKF | verify Commonly quoted cross reference; confirm against the target catalog before ordering. | Identical envelope but a different bearing type — confirm load and speed suitability before substitution. |
| 6201-ZZ | SKF | verify Commonly quoted cross reference; confirm against the target catalog before ordering. | Identical envelope but a different bearing type — confirm load and speed suitability before substitution. |
| 7201-BECBP | SKF | full Dimensions and internal design equivalent — standard interchange. | SKF 7201 BECBP (glass-fibre PA66 cage, open arrangement) is the same-envelope execution with ratings within 10 % — boundary dimensions interchangeable. |
| 7201-BEP | SKF | full Dimensions and internal design equivalent — standard interchange. | SKF 7201 BEP (glass-fibre PA66 cage, open arrangement) is the same-envelope execution with ratings within 10 % — boundary dimensions interchangeable. |
Interchange levels: full standard interchange · partial verify parameters · verify manual confirmation required. Links resolve to the equivalent model's specification page where available.
How the 7201 model number is decoded
SKF 7201 (7201 BEP) is the light (7200) series angular-contact choice for a 12 mm shaft — one row of balls on a steepened, asymmetric raceway giving a nominal 40° contact angle inside the 32×10 mm ISO 15 envelope.Numbering ties the bearing to its envelope: 7201 means angular-contact type 7, light section section 2, 12 mm bore (codes 00-03 use the 10/12/15/17 mm exception table) — which is why the 32×10 mm outline swaps dimensionally with a 6201, though the load behaviour does not. The letters mean B = 40° angle, E = enhanced ball complement and race geometry, P = PA66 glass-fibre cage, so this 7201 is the open polymer-caged execution rather than the sealed or brass-cage catalogue variants. At 28,000 r/min reference speed the 10.0 mm-section 7201 is governed thermally by preload and lubricant flow; oil-air or grease pack selection should be made against that value, with 26,000 r/min as the mechanical ceiling. Note the minimum-axial-load requirement: at light radial load and high speed the balls of 7201 must still be held into the contact ellipse, which is another reason the catalogue recommends paired mounting with controlled preload on 12 mm shaft positions.
Typical equipment & failure modes
Common applications
- dental and laboratory high-speed rotors
- small machine-tool spindles and high-speed heads
- servo and stepper motor shafts
- textile and wire-guide spindles
Known failure patterns
- contamination wear through the open arrangement when no external seal is provided
- raceway smearing under marginal lubrication at start-up before oil reaches the contact ellipse
- contact-angle shift and edge loading after a pair is tilted in by uneven locknut torque
- preload loss as a matched pair runs loose, letting the balls skid and smear the raceways
- PA66 cage embrittlement after sustained running above its 120 °C continuous-temperature ceiling
- edge loading from shaft deflection or housing misalignment
Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute
- At a 12 mm bore the thin rings are easily distorted by an over-tight shaft nut; check seat runout (target Ra ≤ 0.8 µm) and torque the locknut progressively — a pinched 7201 shows up as spindle vibration long before it fails.
- The 72xx light section at 12 mm bore is the general-purpose angular-contact envelope (32×10 mm); stepping up to a 7301 changes OD, width and heat generation — it is not a drop-in swap when the housing and speed are fixed.
- Do not mix execution classes inside one 7201 pair — universal-matchable (CB) bearings are ground for arbitrary pairing, but a CB unit paired with an unmatched basic BEP bearing will not share preload evenly.
- When the outer ring rotates, reverse the fit logic and provide outer-ring location; the steep 40° contact of 7201 pushes the rings apart under load, so a non-located outer ring walks its seat even when the shaft is fixed.
- Shaft and housing fillets must clear the bearing chamfer so the 10 mm-wide ring seats square; use an undercut or withdrawal groove rather than an oversized radius that locks on the ring face.
- The 7.61/3.8 kN ratings are SKF catalogue 17000 values for the 7201 BEP execution; SKF can revise internal geometry without changing the order number, so keep the catalogue version (PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN, 2018) with the specification and re-verify for critical drives.
- SKF lists several executions of 7201 (BEP basic, BECBP universally matchable, BE-2RZP sealed, BECBM brass-cage, ACC-series at 25°); they are not interchangeable order numbers — quote the full 7201 BEP designation when purchasing and match the execution to the mounting arrangement.
- A plain 7201 BEP is a single open bearing, not a universally matchable one; to mount a defined DB/DF pair order the BECBP (CB) execution — pairing two unmatched basic units gives uncontrolled preload because the side faces are not ground for set mounting.
Frequently asked questions
What are the dimensions and catalogue data of SKF 7201?
The SKF 7201 BEP is a single-row angular-contact ball bearing with 12 mm bore, 32 mm outer diameter and 10 mm width (0.472 × 1.26 × 0.394 in) per ISO 15. From SKF catalogue 17000: basic dynamic load rating C 7.61 kN, C0 3.8 kN, fatigue load limit Pu 0.16 kN, reference speed 28,000 r/min, limiting speed 26,000 r/min, mass about 36 g. It is an open 40° contact-angle bearing with a PA66 cage. The two speed figures are independent limits and the operating point must clear both.
How does the 7201 bore code work?
The last two digits of 7201 are bore code 01, giving a 12 mm bore under the exception table. The 32 mm OD and 10 mm width come from the ISO 15 diameter-series plan, shared with the 6201 deep-groove envelope. Codes 00–03 follow the 10/12/15/17 mm exception table.
What do the 72xx and BEP designations mean?
The leading 7 marks a single-row angular-contact bearing; the second digit 2 is the ISO diameter series (light section). In the SKF suffix, B denotes the 40° contact angle, E the enhanced internal design, P the glass-fibre PA66 cage. The plain BEP is the basic open single bearing; BECBP is the universally matchable version. A 25° variant (suffix A, e.g. ACC) runs faster but carries less thrust.
Can a single 7201 take axial load in both directions?
No — one single-row angular-contact bearing reacts thrust in one direction only, and under radial load its 40° contact angle induces an axial force. Use two bearings as a matched pair: DB (back-to-back) for a rigid, moment-resisting arrangement, DF (face-to-face) where thermal expansion must be tolerated, or DT (tandem) where one-direction thrust is shared. Universally matchable CB executions can be assembled into pairs directly; define the preload class against the load and speed of the position.
How does 7201 compare with a deep-groove 6201?
Both use the 12×32×10 mm ISO 15 envelope, but the angular-contact 7201 has an asymmetric raceway at a nominal 40° angle: higher combined axial-plus-radial capacity and controlled preload, at the cost of speed, one-direction thrust, mandatory pairing for reversing loads and a minimum axial load requirement. A 6201 cannot be dropped into a combined-load 7201 position and vice versa — verify load direction, Fa/Fr ratio and speed before substituting.
Reviewed & verified by the MPN Base engineering desk against source catalog SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018), ch. 3.1 single-row ACBB on 2026-09-26. Read our editorial & correction policy.