16068 bearing: complete specifications & equivalents

Specification table

Source: catalog reference (NTN Ball and Roller Bearings CAT.No.2203-3/E (2024)) · extracted 2026-09-25

Parameters extracted from the official NTN Ball and Roller Bearings catalogue (NTN Ball and Roller Bearings CAT.No.2203-3/E (2024)); NTN® is a trademark of NTN Corporation, used here for identification only — mpnbase is not an authorized NTN distributor. Boundary dimensions are ISO 15 interchangeable; current production values may differ, verify at ntnglobal.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 16068 model number is decoded

16068 is supplied open, without shields or seals, so the arrangement around it must supply and retain the lubricant. Within the narrow 160xx section of the ISO 15 general plan, multiplying bore code 68 by five gives the 340 mm bore; the 520 mm outside diameter and 57 mm width follow the same boundary-dimension plan. For a rotating inner ring on a 340 mm shaft under normal load, catalogue practice seats it on a m6 shaft fit with an H7 housing bore — confirm against the actual load direction and magnitude before committing. In the NTN catalogue this open execution carries the bare designation; protected variants are ordered separately with suffixes ZZ (shields), LLB/LLF (non-contact seals), LLH (low-torque contact seal) and LLU (contact seal).

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• At 340 mm bore the ring mass is significant: heat 16068 on an induction heater (max 120 °C), never over an open flame, and plan puller access or a withdrawal sleeve now for the day it has to come off again.
• The 160xx narrow section at 340 mm bore shares the 520 mm outside diameter of the 6068 but is only 57 mm wide; a 6068 in a 57 mm-wide seat is loose axially and the reverse swap will not fit — match width as well as bore and outside diameter.
• The open 16068 has no lubricant retention: grease escapes and contaminants migrate straight into the 340×520×57 mm raceway, so specify a sealed arrangement for dusty or washdown duty.
• Open bearings tolerate the highest speeds in the 16000-series but need a defined regreasing interval; run-to-failure lubrication is the dominant cause of early failure in open 16068 units.
• Shaft and housing fillets must clear the bearing chamfer so the 57 mm-wide ring seats square; provide an undercut or withdrawal groove instead of relying on an oversized radius.
• Deep-groove ball bearings tolerate only minutes of misalignment; if the 520 mm housing cannot be aligned, switch to a self-aligning type rather than shimming 16068.
• The open 16068 has no integral sealing; in the NTN 2203 catalogue the protected variants carry suffixes ZZ (non-contact steel shields), LLB/LLF (non-contact rubber seals), LLU (contact rubber seals) and LLH (a low-torque contact seal with higher speed capability than LLU). A JR or JRX suffix (printed for some thin-section sizes) denotes a pressed-steel cage, not a seal.
• The 340 mm bore places 16068 in NTN's maximum-size range at the lower end; this is a heavy-engineering bearing where centrifugal force and cage inertia dominate the design envelope. NTN supplies a machined brass cage (suffix M) and expects oil lubrication; do not use catalogue grease speed figures for this size without an NTN engineering review.
• NTN lists the grease limiting speed at 1100 r/min for 16068; this is a large-section size where the pressed-steel cage is speed-limited — NTN recommends the machined brass cage (suffix M) and oil lubrication for any continuous operation above this figure.
• NTN rates 16068 at 380 kN dynamic (C) and 515 kN static (C0), 17 kN fatigue load limit Cu; this is an upper heavy-load rating where the pressed-steel cage is not recommended — NTN supplies a machined brass cage (suffix M) and the static C0 must be verified against any shock or lifting loads the bearing sees during mounting.
• At 47100 g (47.1 kg), 16068 is a very heavy bearing where handling and mounting method directly affect service life; NTN requires induction heating of the inner ring (max 120 °C), a mechanical puller for removal, and a defined lifting procedure to avoid damaging the machined brass cage.
• The 340×520×57 mm envelope of 16068 gives a D/d ratio of 1.53 and 90.0 mm radial section height — this thin section saves space but is sensitive to misalignment and shock; confirm the housing stays round within IT7 and the shaft does not deflect past the raceway contact angle under load.
• The 380/515 kN load ratings, 17 kN fatigue load limit Cu NTN lists the grease limiting speed at 1100 r/min for this designation; oil-mist or jet lubrication raises the ceiling but requires a sealed-housing review. and 47100 g mass here are NTN Ball and Roller Bearings CAT.No.2203-3/E figures for 16068 on the 340×520×57 mm ISO 15 envelope; internal geometry and ratings legitimately differ between brands, so re-verify before substituting another manufacturer's 16068 in a rated drive.
• NTN's pressed-steel cage (no cage suffix) is the quiet standard for this size; for sustained running close to the limiting speed or for heavy shock duty, ask the NTN channel whether a machined-cage execution of 16068 is listed.
• Factory-fill grease in NTN sealed units is a general-duty lithium-soap grease; food-grade, low-temperature and high-temperature fills are request options at order time, because LLU/LLB units are not meant to be opened and re-greased in the field.