7220 bearing: complete specifications & equivalents

Specification table

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.

Cross references & equivalents

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 7220 model number is decoded

7220 BEP belongs to SKF's universal single-row angular-contact range — the 100 mm bore entry in the light (7200) series, dimensioned 180 mm OD and 34 mm wide to the same ISO 15 boundary plan as the 6220 deep-groove envelope.Reading the designation: the leading 7 marks a single-row angular-contact ball bearing, the 2 is ISO diameter series 2 (light section), and the last two digits encode the 100 mm bore; the 180 mm OD and 34 mm width follow the ISO 15 general plan. The suffix decodes as B for the 40° contact-angle execution, E for SKF's enhanced internal design with larger/fewer balls, and P for the glass-fibre reinforced PA66 ball-centred cage (continuous temperature ceiling 120 °C). At 4,300 r/min reference speed the 40.0 mm-section 7220 is governed thermally by preload and lubricant flow; oil-air or grease pack selection should be made against that value, with 4,000 r/min as the mechanical ceiling. Mounting practice for 7220: the rotating ring takes the interference fit (k5 on a 100 mm rotating shaft), the stationary ring slides for axial location, and reversing-thrust duty demands a paired DB/DF set rather than one bearing.

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• At 100 mm bore the ring mass is high enough that cocking during mounting damages the cage and race lips; guide the ring square, confirm seat contact around the full circumference, and re-check preload after the first thermal cycle of the paired set.
• The 72xx light section at 100 mm bore is the general-purpose angular-contact envelope (180×34 mm); stepping up to a 7320 changes OD, width and heat generation — it is not a drop-in swap when the housing and speed are fixed.
• Preload is a design value, not an assembly feel: excessive preload in the 7220 pair raises operating temperature and can trigger thermal runaway back-to-back, while too little lets the balls skid and smear the raceway under light load.
• Do not mix execution classes inside one 7220 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.
• The 7220 shares its ISO 15 envelope with deep-groove 6220 but is not a drop-in replacement: it cannot run effectively under pure radial load without a minimum axial load, and a deep-groove bearing cannot replace its combined-load duty.
• The 135/122 kN ratings are SKF catalogue 17000 values for the 7220 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 7220 (BEP basic, BECBP universally matchable, BE-2RZP sealed, BECBM brass-cage, ACC-series at 25°); they are not interchangeable order numbers — quote the full 7220 BEP designation when purchasing and match the execution to the mounting arrangement.
• A plain 7220 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.