The designations of most SKF rolling bearings follow a system that may consist of a basic designation with or without one or more prefixes and/or suffixes: SKF bearing designation

An example and the applicable options for SKF spherical roller bearings are given below.

21315E

21315, see SKF bearing designation

SKF spherical roller bearings prefixes

• BS2-: Bearing, designated by a drawing number
• E2.: SKF Energy Efficient bearing 
• ZE: Bearing with SensorMount feature 

SKF spherical roller bearings suffixes

Suffixes - Internal design

• CA, CAC: Retaining flanges on the inner ring, guide ring centred on the inner ring, machined brass cage 
• CC(J), CJ: Flangeless inner ring, guide ring centred on the inner ring, two stamped steel cages
• CCJA, EJA: Flangeless inner ring, guide ring centred on the outer ring raceway, two stamped steel cages 
• E: Optimized internal design for increased load carrying capacity 
  213, 222 and 223 series: Flangeless inner ring and two stamped steel cages. Annular groove and three lubrication holes in the outer ring.
  d ≤ 65 mm: Guide ring centred on the inner ring 
  d > 65 mm: Guide ring centred on the cage 

Suffixes - External design (seals, snap ring groove etc.)

• -CS, 2CS: Contact seal, NBR, on one or both sides
• -CS2, 2CS2: Contact seal, FKM, on one or both sides 
• -CS5, 2CS5: Contact seal, HNBR, on one or both sides 
• K: Tapered bore, taper 1:12
• K30: Tapered bore, taper 1:30 

Suffixes - Cage design

• F: Machined steel cage, inner ring centred 
• FA: Machined steel cage, outer ring centred 
• J: Stamped steel cage, inner ring centred 
• JA: Stamped steel cage, outer ring centred 
• MA: Machined brass cage, outer ring centred 

Suffixes - Materials, heat treatment

• 235220: Case-hardened inner ring with a helical groove in the bore
• HA3: Case-hardened inner ring 

Suffixes -Accuracy, clearance, preload, quiet running

• C08: Running accuracy to P5 tolerance class
• C083: C08 + C3 
• C084: C08 + C4 
• C2: Radial internal clearance smaller than Normal 
• C3: Radial internal clearance greater than Normal 
• C4: Radial internal clearance greater than C3 
• C5: Radial internal clearance greater than C4 
• P5: Dimensional and running accuracy to P5 tolerance class
• P6: Dimensional and running accuracy to P6 tolerance class
• P62: P6 + C2 

Suffixes - Lubrication

• GEM9: Filled to 70 – 100% with SKF LGHB 2 grease
• VT143: Filled to 25 – 45% with SKF LGEP 2 grease 
• VT143B: Filled to 45 – 60% with SKF LGEP 2 grease 
• VT143C: Filled to 70 – 100% with SKF LGEP 2 grease 
• W64: Solid Oil 
• W: Without annular groove and lubrication holes in the outer ring 
• W20: Three lubrication holes in the outer ring 
• W26: Six lubrication holes in the inner ring 
• W33: Annular groove and three lubrication holes in the outer ring 
• W33X: Annular groove and six lubrication holes in the outer ring 
• W77: Plugged W33 lubrication holes 
• W513: W26 + W33

Suffixes - Other variants

• VA405: Bearing for vibratory applications, surface-hardened stamped steel cages 
• VA406: Same as VA405, but PTFE coated cylindrical inner ring bore
• VE552(E): Outer ring with three equally-spaced threaded holes in one side face to accommodate
  lifting tackle. The E indicates that appropriate eye bolts are supplied with the bearing. 
• VE553(E):Same as VE552(E), but threaded holes in both side faces
• VG114: Surface-hardened stamped steel cages 
• VQ424: Running accuracy better than C08