SKF6236-M/C3Open Deep Groove Ball Bearing 180 x 320 x 52 mm, Machined Brass Cage, C3 Clearance, 1 Pc

Product Description

What this part is

A single-row deep groove ball bearing in the 62 medium dimension series — 180 mm bore, 320 mm outside diameter, 52 mm wide — open on both sides, with a one-piece machined brass cage and C3 greater-than-normal radial internal clearance. Deep groove ball bearings carry radial load plus axial load in either direction. At this size it is a large motor, generator, mill drive, process fan and heavy gearbox bearing.

Decoding the designation

6 – single-row deep groove ball bearing2 – dimension series 62, the medium section and width36 – bore code, 36 x 5 = 180 mm boreM – machined brass cage, ball centred/C3 – radial internal clearance greater than normalNo closure suffix – open both sides

What these specs mean in practice

The cage is the reason this part number exists. A one-piece machined brass cage tolerates high speed, shock, misalignment, marginal lubrication and elevated temperature far better than a pressed steel or polyamide cage, and unlike polyamide it has no polymer temperature ceiling. It is heavier and dearer, which is exactly why it appears on large, hard-worked bearings. A plain 6236 with a pressed steel cage is a different bearing: same envelope, different behaviour under heat and shock, so do not swap one for the other on a machine that was specified with M.

C3 is the other decisive spec. Greater-than-normal clearance is what a large shaft needs when the inner ring goes on with a firm interference fit and runs hotter than its housing. A normal-clearance bearing in that duty loses its clearance to thermal growth, preloads itself and overheats. A C3 in a cool, lightly loaded machine can be noisy instead — the mismatch fails both ways, so match what came out.

Because it is open, the bearing arrives without service grease and expects the housing to seal it and the machine to lubricate it. In exchange it relubricates freely and runs in circulating or splash oil, which at this size is normally how it is fed.

Published specifications

Bore: 180 mmOutside diameter: 320 mmWidth: 52 mmDimension series: 62 (medium)Rows: 1Closure: open, both sidesInternal clearance: C3, greater than normalCage: machined brass, ball centredMaterial: through-hardened bearing steelEAN: 7316576618895

Quantity and configuration

Sold as 1 piece, one open bearing. No shields, no seals, no snap ring, no housing.

Fitting notes

At 180 mm bore this is strictly a heat-mount job — induction heater or oil bath to about 80 to 110 °C. Do not attempt a cold press. Load only the ring being fitted and never across the balls. For a rotating inner ring under normal to heavy load, k5 or m5 on the shaft with an H7 housing bore is the usual pairing, and C3 is specified so that fit does not close the clearance up. Handle the cage carefully: brass is tough but a bent pocket will wreck the bearing.

Interchange guidance

Genuine interchanges are same-envelope 180 x 320 x 52 mm bearings with a machined brass cage and C3 clearance: FAG 6236-M-C3, NSK 6236MC3 and NTN 6236C3 with brass cage. A plain 6236/C3 with a pressed steel cage, a 6236-M with normal clearance, or a 6336 of the same bore (heavy series, physically much larger) are related parts, not drop-in equivalents.