51202-SKF bearing: complete specifications & equivalents

Specification table

Source: catalog reference (SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018)) · extracted 2026-09-28

Parameters extracted from the official SKF Rolling Bearings catalogue (SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018)); 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 51202-SKF model number is decoded

The 51200 series order number 51202 is a SKF single-direction thrust ball bearing for a 15 mm seat, built to ISO 104, with a flat housing seating surface, 15×32×12 mm boundary dimensions. Three separable parts make the set: the tight-bore shaft washer that locates on the shaft, the loose-bore housing washer in its register, and the ball-cage assembly; load is purely axial and acts in one direction. reading 51xxx as a code: the 1 after 5 identifies one load direction and a flat seat, and the next digit ranks the section 1 (light) to 4 (heavy) before the two-digit bore code. bore code 02 decodes to 15 mm under the same 00/01/02/03-exception, ×5 rule SKF uses across its coded bearing ranges. the suffix-free listing carries the catalogue default: a pressed (stamped sheet-steel) ball-cage assembly, light and quiet, used across the small and medium sizes. Envelope 15×32×12 mm (0.591×1.26×0.472 in), 8.5 mm radial section, C 15.9 kN, C0 25 kN, Pu 0.915 kN. reference speed 7,000 r/min (thermal) and limiting speed 10,000 r/min (mechanical), catalogue mass 46 g. Speed planning separates the two ceilings mechanically: the pressed cage and balls tolerate 10,000 r/min while thermal balance under catalogue load sets the 7,000 r/min reference; at dm ≈ 23.5 mm the corresponding dn is approximately 235k mm·r/min. Minimum-load arithmetic: with dm ≈ 23.5 mm and factor A 0.0038, Fam ≈ A·(n·dm/1000)² at the 7,000 r/min reference speed is about 103 N for 51202; below that preload the balls skid and smear the tracks. Speed band width for this size is 3,000 r/min between reference and limiting (1.43× ratio); lubrication, preload and heat removal decide where inside that band 51202 can actually run. Load balance: C0 25 kN against C 15.9 kN gives a 1.57 ratio — thrust ball bearings are chosen on static rating and F_a/C0 far more often than on L10 life, while Pu 0.915 kN enters the adjusted-life check. Stack/annulus proportions: the 12 mm axial stack over the 628 mm² washer annulus gives 19.11 mm of height per annular square millimetre ×10⁻³, and at 46 g the bearing holds about 543.5 kN of C0 per kilogram. Execution note for this order number: the flat housing seating surface must be machined square to the shaft axis and supported across the full washer face — unlike the sphered 53-series execution this pressed-cage 51-series bearing has no self-aligning capability at all, so seat squareness is checked at mounting, not compensated in service. Inspection after removal of a 12 mm-high stack means checking both washer faces: the loose housing washer often shows the first false-brinell marks under machine vibration even though the tight shaft washer carries the rotating load of 15.9 kN C.

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• The three components are separable and interchangeable within the ISO 104 size, but keep this bearing's parts together in service and never combine washers from different manufacturers or a worn washer with a new ball set.
• Identify the washers before fitting: the shaft washer has the ground, smaller bore and takes an interference fit on the 15 mm shaft, while the housing washer bore is larger and runs loose; swapping them locks the ball set and burns the tracks.
• When the housing seat cannot be machined square to the 15 mm shaft, the sphered 53-series execution of this size with its U seat washer is the self-aligning counterpart of this flat 51200 bearing.
• Keep the applied thrust above Fam ≈ A·(n·dm/1000)² with the printed factor A 0.0038; for 51202 a spring preload or the rotor weight is part of the selection at light load and high speed, because unloaded balls skid rather than roll.
• The 15.9/25 kN figures belong to 51202 specifically (the single flat pressed steel execution of 51202); suffixed, sphered and counterpart-series order numbers are separate articles, so write the complete designation on the order and the maintenance record.