6201-ZZ-NTN 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 6201-ZZ-NTN model number is decoded

In the 6200-series (diameter series 2 of ISO 15) the last two digits encode the bore: 6201 carries bore code 12 = 12 mm. Outside diameter 32 mm and width 10 mm come from the ISO 15 boundary-dimensions general plan. Suffix -ZZ denotes two non-contact metallic shields; they retain grease and block coarse debris but are not liquid-tight. For normal-load mounting with a rotating inner ring on a 12 mm shaft, typical catalogue practice is a j5 shaft seat with an H7 housing bore — verify against the actual load direction and magnitude. NTN catalogue order number: 6201ZZ (suffix ZZ), two non-contact steel shields, mapped here from the industry-neutral -ZZ spelling.

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• Temperature rise and interference fits consume internal clearance on this 12 mm bore: a CN bearing on a tight, hot shaft can lose all residual clearance — size 6201 with C3 for those conditions.
• At 12 mm bore the 62xx light series is the workhorse section; its 32×10 mm envelope is what most motor and gearbox seats are machined for, so any alternative section must be checked against both this OD and this width, not the bore alone.
• Do not wash 6201-ZZ-NTN in solvent before mounting: the grease inside the shielded cavity is the service fill, and solvent creeping past the shield gap strips it out.
• Shielded 6201-ZZ-NTN units are typically greased for life; prying the shields out for regreasing usually bends them and leaves a gap that throws grease in service.
• Measure the shaft, do not trust the drawing: a 12 mm nominal journal worn by even 0.02 mm turns an interference seat into a creeping fit that frets the bore of 6201-ZZ-NTN.
• Axial location must clamp the ring face, not the seal area: a shoulder or circlip bearing on the seal side of the 10 mm-wide ring of 6201-ZZ-NTN drags the lip and overheats it.
• NTN catalogues the shielded version as 6201ZZ — suffix ZZ, two non-contact steel shields. The industry-neutral page spelling is -ZZ; quote the NTN order number when buying through an NTN channel.
• At 12 mm bore the 6201 sits in NTN's small-bore range; ABEC-1/P0 runout is standard, and the pressed-steel cage is adequate up to the grease limiting speed — for higher accuracy (spindles, instruments) ask NTN for a P6 or P5 tolerance-class listing before relying on catalogue P0 figures.
• NTN rates 6201 at 20000 r/min grease limiting speed — this is a high-speed electric-motor range; keep the grease fill at 20–30% of the free bearing volume and avoid mixing grease thickener types if regreasing through the seal lip.
• NTN rates 6201 at 6.75 kN dynamic (C) and 2.75 kN static (C0), 0.21 kN fatigue load limit Cu; this light-to-medium rating suits fractional-horsepower drives and instruments — for conveying or gearbox duty with shock loads, verify the equivalent dynamic load stays well below C.
• At only 37 g, 6201 is a lightweight bearing that can be handled by hand; still, press it onto the shaft with a sleeve against the inner ring — never through the balls or outer ring.
• The 12×32×10 mm envelope of 6201 gives a D/d ratio of 2.67 and 10.0 mm radial section height — a heavy section built for high-load, lower-speed duty; specifying it in a high-rpm motor generates excess heat and shortens grease life, so prefer a 62/63-series there.
• The 6.75/2.75 kN load ratings, 0.21 kN fatigue load limit Cu NTN lists the grease limiting speed at 20000 r/min for this designation; oil-mist or jet lubrication raises the ceiling but requires a sealed-housing review. and 37 g mass here are NTN Ball and Roller Bearings CAT.No.2203-3/E figures for 6201ZZ on the 12×32×10 mm ISO 15 envelope; internal geometry and ratings legitimately differ between brands, so re-verify before substituting another manufacturer's 6201 in a rated drive.
• Order the C3 internal-clearance version (6201 with C3 after the seal code) when the shaft fit is tight or the shaft-to-housing temperature gradient exceeds roughly 10 °C — the residual clearance after mounting, not the catalogue CN figure, decides service life.
• 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.