NUP218EA bearing: complete specifications & equivalents
The NUP218EA is a ISO 15 radial bearing sized 90 x 160 x 30 mm (bore x OD x width). Verify dimensions against the official catalog before ordering.
Specification table
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | NTN |
| Bore diameter d | 90 mm |
| Outer diameter D | 160 mm |
| Width B | 30 mm |
| Material | GCr15 |
| Seal / shield | open |
| Internal clearance | CN |
| Tolerance class | P0 |
| Cage | steel, stamped ribbon (J-type) |
| Basic dynamic load rating C | 215 kN |
| Basic static load rating C0 | 217 kN |
| Fatigue load limit Pu | 24.7 kN |
| Limiting speed (mechanical) | 3900 rpm |
| Operating temperature | -40 to +120 °C |
| Mass | 2370 g |
| Manufacturer designation | NTN NUP218EA |
| Standard | ISO 15 |
| Catalog version | NTN Ball and Roller Bearings CAT.No.2203E |
| Last verified | 2026-10-01 |
Source: catalog reference (NTN Ball and Roller Bearings CAT.No.2203E) · extracted 2026-10-01
Parameters extracted from the official NTN Ball and Roller Bearings catalogue (NTN Ball and Roller Bearings CAT.No.2203E); 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.
Dimensions in inches & NUP200-series range
| Bore d | 3.543 in |
|---|---|
| Outer diameter D | 6.299 in |
| Width B | 1.181 in |
| ISO bore code | — |
| Radial section height (D−d)/2 | 35 mm |
| Smallest bore in NUP200-series | 17 mm |
| Largest outer diameter in NUP200-series | 580 mm |
| Width range across NUP200-series | 12–92 mm |
| Bore position in NUP200-series (smallest first) | 16 of 35 |
| Bore above smallest NUP200-series size | 73 mm |
Cross references & equivalents
| Equivalent model | Brand | Match level | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| NUP218EA | ISO 15 | full Dimensions and internal design equivalent — standard interchange. | ISO 15 boundary-dimension envelope; standard interchange — confirm clearance class and precision with the supplier. |
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 NUP218EA model number is decoded
NUP218EA belongs to the NTN cylindrical roller range in NTN Ball and Roller Bearings CAT.No.2203E, under the ＊ ULTAGE new-generation specification: line-contact rollers between ground raceways for a 215 kN dynamic rating in the 90 mm bore. Digit by digit, NUP218EA reads as NUP (inner ring two ribs + loose L-ring), ISO 15 series, and bore 90 mm; trailing letters such as EA or E mark the cage/capacity execution and are part of the order number. Line contact between rollers and raceways gives NUP218EA high radial capacity but no tolerance for misalignment: beyond roughly 3–4 arc-minutes the roller ends edge-load and fatigue accelerates. Equivalent-load planning treats NUP218EA as a pure radial bearing: keep P below 215 kN at the required L10, and let a paired angular-contact or thrust part carry any sustained axial component. Confirm the loose L-shaped rib ring is fitted and seated, since it is what turns the NJ-type arrangement into the two-direction-locating NUP set on the 90 mm shaft.
Typical equipment & failure modes
Common applications
- large pump, turbine and compressor rotors
- rolling-mill auxiliary drive shafts
- crusher and vibrating-screen drive shafts
- marine gearbox and deck-machinery shafts
Known failure patterns
- inner-ring raceway spalling from overload in the line-contact Hertzian zone
- pressed-steel cage pocket wear when rollers skid at light load or too-thin lubricant
- micro-pitting when the EHL film falls below the composite roughness at high specific load
- edge loading from shaft deflection beyond the 3–4 arc-minute alignment limit
- false brinelling on standby machines exposed to external vibration
Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute
- Induction-heat the 90 mm inner ring (max 120 °C) and mount it before fitting the outer ring; the ring mass makes square guidance essential — driving through the rollers brinells the 160 mm raceway.
- The NUP rib arrangement is not interchangeable with another prefix on the same 90 mm seat: inner ring two ribs + loose L-ring. Swapping NU for NJ changes axial location behaviour even though the 160×30 mm envelope matches.
- Do not replace NUP218EA with a deep-groove ball bearing on rating alone: line contact gives 215 kN radial capacity but the bearing only accepts small sustained axial guidance loads and misalignment tolerance is only 3–4 arc-minutes.
- If the shaft must be located both ways, do not use NUP218EA alone: pair it with a locating bearing or specify the NUP execution with the matching loose rib ring from the 2203E table.
- Wide (22/23) and light (10/49) executions at 90 mm bore share bore but not OD/width; check the full NUP200 series code before substituting, because housing and shoulder geometry will not interchange.
- The 215/217 kN ratings, 24.7 kN Pu and 2370 g mass are NTN Ball and Roller Bearings CAT.No.2203E values for NUP218EA (EA pressed-steel-cage execution); other makes sharing the ISO 15 envelope revise internal geometry without changing the order number, so keep the 2203E reference with the specification for critical drives.
Frequently asked questions
What are the dimensions and catalogue data of NUP218EA?
NUP218EA is an NTN NUP single-row cylindrical roller bearing to ISO 15: 90 mm bore, 160 mm OD and 30 mm width (3.543 × 6.299 × 1.181 in). From NTN Ball and Roller Bearings CAT.No.2203E: C 215 kN, C0 217 kN, Pu 24.7 kN, grease limiting speed 3,900 r/min, oil 5,500 r/min, mass about 2370 g. It is open, with the EA high-capacity pressed sheet-steel cage.
What is the difference between NU, NJ, NUP, N and NF cylindrical roller bearings?
The prefix states the rib arrangement: NU has two outer-ring ribs and a ribless inner ring (float, no axial load); NJ adds ribs for one-direction location; NUP adds a loose L-ring to locate both directions; N has two inner-ring ribs and a separable outer ring; NF has one rib per ring for one-direction guidance. NUP218EA is the NJ rib arrangement plus a loose L-shaped rib ring on the inner ring — it locates the shaft in both axial directions.
What do the EA, E and ＊ suffixes mean on NTN cylindrical roller bearings?
EA is NTN's high-capacity design with a pressed sheet-steel cage and optimised roller complement in the same ISO 15 envelope; E marks the high-capacity design at the larger bores; the ＊ symbol printed before the code in the NTN catalogue marks the ULTAGE new-generation specification and is not typed as part of the order number. This page's bearing carries the EA pressed-steel-cage execution.
Can NUP218EA take axial load and locate a shaft?
the NUP design provides two-direction axial location via its loose rib ring, for light/moderate thrust guidance. The loose rib ring still only suits light/short-duration axial guidance; heavy thrust belongs to a dedicated thrust bearing.
What do Fw and Ew mean for NUP218EA?
Fw is the inner sub-assembly raceway/roller-set envelope diameter and Ew the outer-ring raceway diameter printed for geometric checks: Fw 107 mm, Ew 145 mm. The nominal bore/OD remain 90/160 mm; Fw/Ew describe the rolling-contact path, and speeds still run to 3,900 r/min grease / 5,500 r/min oil.
Reviewed & verified by the MPN Base engineering desk against source catalog NTN Ball and Roller Bearings CAT.No.2203E on 2026-10-01. Read our editorial & correction policy.