Bearing Inserts

Setscrew, eccentric collar & concentric collar locking · Wide & narrow inner ring · Spherical & cylindrical O.D. · Standard, medium & heavy duty · Tapered bore & flush-back variants

3
Locking Styles
Spherical
& Cylindrical O.D.
Pre-Lube
Factory Lubricated
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Select by: 🔧 Setscrew (UC, UCX, SB, SER, UD) 🔄 Eccentric Collar (NA, SA, UER) ⇄ Concentric Collar (UE) 🔒 Adapter Sleeve (UK) ◯ Cylindrical O.D. (UER, SER, CUC, CSA, CSB)
Overview
Bearing Inserts — Complete GBC Programme

A bearing insert (also called a bearing unit insert or housed bearing insert) is a deep groove ball bearing with a wide inner ring and a spherical or cylindrical outer diameter designed for installation in a housing unit. The spherical O.D. allows the insert to self-align within the housing bore, accommodating minor angular misalignment between the shaft and housing. All GBC bearing inserts are factory pre-lubricated with lithium-based grease and sealed with rubber seals and a metal slinger as standard.

Three shaft locking mechanisms are available: setscrew (dual setscrews at 120° — UC, UCX, SB, SER, UD), eccentric collar (self-tightening under unidirectional rotation — NA, SA, UER), and concentric collar (360° uniform contact, Accu-Grip® design — UE). Specialist variants include adapter sleeve mounting (UK, tapered bore), flush-back design (UD), and cylindrical O.D. inserts (CUC, CSA, CSB, UER, SER) for pressed steel housings. Contact our team to confirm the correct insert for your application.

UC Setscrew Wide Inner Ring NA Eccentric Collar UE Concentric Collar UK Adapter Sleeve Spherical O.D. Cylindrical O.D. L3 Triple Lip Seal Option Standard / Medium / Heavy Duty
3
Locking Styles
120°
Setscrew Spacing (UC)
360°
Concentric Collar Contact (UE)
L3
Triple Lip Seal Option
Pre-Lube
Factory Lithium Grease

Setscrew Locking Bearing Inserts

Dual Setscrew at 120° · Wide & Narrow Inner Ring

Setscrew inserts use two setscrews spaced 120° apart to lock the insert to the shaft. Available in standard duty (UC200/UC300), medium duty (UCX), and light-duty narrow inner ring (SB) variants. Cylindrical O.D. (CUC, CSB) versions for pressed steel housings. L3 triple lip seal suffix available on UC and SB series.

UC205 bearing insert setscrew lock wide inner ring spherical OD
Setscrew — Standard Duty

UC205 / UC200 / UC300 Series

UC200 standard · UC300 heavy duty · Spherical O.D.

Wide inner ring · Dual setscrew at 120° · Spherical O.D. with grease groove and grease holes · Rubber seal + metal slinger · CUC = cylindrical O.D. variant · L3 triple lip seal available

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UC300 heavy duty bearing inserts setscrew wide inner ring
Setscrew — Heavy Duty

UC300 Heavy-Duty Series

UC300 · Heavy duty · Wider cross-section

Heavy-duty series · Wider cross-section at same bore as UC200 · Higher radial load rating · Setscrew locking · Spherical O.D.

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UCX UCX-L3 medium duty bearing inserts setscrew wide inner ring
Setscrew — Medium Duty

UCX / UCX-L3 Medium-Duty Series

UCX · Medium duty · Setscrew · L3 option

Medium-duty series between UC200 and UC300 · Higher load than UC200 at same bore · L3 triple lip seal variant available

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SB CSB narrow inner ring bearing inserts setscrew light duty
Setscrew — Narrow Inner Ring

SB / CSB Series

Narrow inner ring · Setscrew · Light duty

Same load ratings as UC · Narrow inner ring with one-piece seal and slinger · Re-lube or sealed-for-life options · CSB = cylindrical O.D. variant

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UD flush-back bearing inserts setscrew non-extending inner ring spherical OD
Setscrew — Flush Back

UD Series

Non-extending inner ring · Flush back · Setscrew

Non-extending (flush-back) inner ring · Spherical O.D. · More precise bore tolerance than standard UC · Press-fit shaft mounting possible

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SER cylindrical outer ring bearing inserts setscrew snap ring wide inner ring
Setscrew — Cylindrical O.D.

SER Series

Cylindrical O.D. · Snap ring · Setscrew

Cylindrical O.D. with grease groove and grease holes · Locating snap ring on outer ring for installation · Two setscrews at 120°

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Eccentric Collar Locking Bearing Inserts

Self-Tightening · Unidirectional

Eccentric collar inserts use an elliptical collar that meshes with the elliptical surface of the inner ring. Turning the inner ring locks the shafting in place; a setscrew is tightened to prevent slipping. The collar self-tightens under unidirectional shaft rotation. Not suitable for reversing drives. NA inserts have a wide inner ring; SA inserts have a narrow inner ring. UER uses an eccentric collar with a cylindrical O.D. and a snap ring.

NA NA-L3 eccentric locking bearing inserts wide inner ring spherical OD
Eccentric Collar — Wide Inner Ring

NA / NA-L3 Series

Wide inner ring · Eccentric collar · Spherical O.D.

Wide inner ring · Eccentric locking collar · Grease groove and holes on outer ring for re-lubrication · L3 triple lip seal available · Standard duty

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SA CSA narrow inner ring bearing inserts eccentric collar light duty
Eccentric Collar — Narrow Inner Ring

SA / CSA Series

Narrow inner ring · Eccentric collar · Light duty

Narrow inner ring eccentric collar insert · Re-lube or sealed-for-life options · CSA = cylindrical O.D. variant · Light duty

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UER cylindrical outer ring bearing inserts eccentric collar snap ring
Eccentric Collar — Cylindrical O.D.

UER Series

Cylindrical O.D. · Eccentric collar · Snap ring

Cylindrical O.D. with grease groove and grease holes · Locating snap ring for easy installation · Eccentric collar locking · Wide inner ring

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Concentric Collar & Adapter Sleeve Inserts

360° Contact · No Shaft Damage

UE concentric collar inserts (Accu-Grip® design) use a grooved inner ring with a collar that squeezes uniformly against the inner ring, providing 360° locking contact. The round ball path design produces better operation, longer service life, and prevents shaft marring and burring that can occur with setscrew and eccentric collar designs. UK adapter sleeve inserts use a tapered bore with a corresponding adapter sleeve to size and affix the insert to the shaft — true 360° shaft contact running the full length of the inner ring, with no shaft surface damage on removal.

UE concentric locking bearing inserts Accu-Grip 360 degree wide inner ring
Concentric Collar — 360°

UE Series (Accu-Grip®)

Wide inner ring · Concentric collar · 360° contact

Accu-Grip® concentric locking collar · 360° shaft contact · Prevents shaft marring · Grease groove and holes · Black oxidation treatment standard · Bidirectional

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UK tapered bore bearing inserts adapter sleeve wide inner ring 360 degree
Adapter Sleeve — Tapered Bore

UK Series

Tapered bore · Adapter sleeve · Wide inner ring

Tapered inner ring + adapter sleeve · Sleeve sizes shaft to bore · True 360° shaft contact · No shaft damage on removal · Ideal where shock loads can damage setscrew or eccentric collar · Insert and adapter ordered separately

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Selection Guide
Insert Series Selection Matrix
Select by locking mechanism, inner ring width, O.D. type, and duty rating. All series are factory pre-lubricated unless otherwise noted.
SeriesLockingInner RingO.D. TypeDutyKey Feature / Select When
UC200 / CUC200SetscrewWideSpherical / CylindricalStandardMost common insert · Grease groove + holes · L3 triple lip seal available
UC300SetscrewWideSphericalHeavyHigher load than UC200 at same bore · Wider cross-section
UCX / UCX-L3SetscrewWideSphericalMediumBetween UC200 and UC300 load capacity · L3 available
NA / NA-L3Eccentric collarWideSphericalStandardSelf-tightening under rotation · Unidirectional only · L3 available
UEConcentric collarWideSphericalStandard360° contact · Bidirectional · No shaft marring · High-speed positions
UEREccentric collarWideCylindricalStandardCylindrical O.D. for pressed steel housings · Snap ring for location
SA / CSAEccentric collarNarrowSpherical / CylindricalLightNarrow inner ring · Eccentric collar · Re-lube or lubed-for-life
SB / CSBSetscrewNarrowSpherical / CylindricalLightNarrow inner ring · Setscrew · One-piece seal/slinger · Re-lube or lubed-for-life
UDSetscrewNon-extending (flush)SphericalStandardFlush-back design · Press-fit shaft mounting · More precise bore tolerance
UKAdapter sleeveWide (tapered bore)SphericalStandardNo shaft surface damage · Shock load applications · Sleeve ordered separately
SERSetscrewWideCylindricalStandardCylindrical O.D. · Snap ring · Setscrew · For pressed steel housings
Design Features
Insert Design Advantages
GBC bearing inserts are designed for use in standard cast iron, pressed steel, stainless, thermoplastic, and other housing types. All inserts are interchangeable with equivalent housing series for the same bore size.
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Spherical O.D. Self-Alignment

The spherical outer diameter of UC, NA, UE, UK, UD, and SA series inserts allows the insert to self-align within the housing bore, accommodating minor angular misalignment between shaft and housing axis without generating edge loads on the bearing raceway.

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Setscrew at 120° (UC Series)

Dual setscrews spaced 120° apart provide symmetric clamping on the shaft without creating a concentrated stress point. The UC insert is the most widely used insert type across all housing formats and bore sizes.

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Accu-Grip® Concentric Collar (UE)

The UE concentric collar uses a hex screw to squeeze the collar uniformly against a grooved inner ring, creating 360° contact. This prevents shaft marring and burring, generates no imbalance mass, and is the correct choice for high-speed or reversing applications.

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Rubber Seal + Metal Slinger

Standard UC, NA, and UE series inserts use a rubber contact seal and a metal slinger on both sides. The rubber seal excludes contamination; the metal slinger deflects coarse particles before they reach the seal lip, extending seal and bearing life.

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L3 Triple Lip Seal Option

UC and NA series inserts can be ordered with the L3 suffix for a triple lip seal instead of the standard single rubber seal. The triple lip seal provides significantly greater contamination exclusion for dusty, wet, or contaminated environments where the standard seal is not sufficient.

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Housing Interchangeability

UC200 inserts are interchangeable across UCP200 pillow blocks, UCF200 4-bolt flanges, UCFL200 2-bolt flanges, UCFC200 cartridge units, and all other UC-family housings for the same bore size. One insert spare covers all housing formats at that bore.

FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
▶ What is the difference between UC, NA, and UE inserts?

UC inserts use dual setscrews at 120° to lock the wide inner ring to the shaft — bidirectional, the most common insert type. NA inserts use an eccentric collar: turning the inner ring locks the shaft via the elliptical collar mesh, then a setscrew prevents slipping. NA is self-tightening under unidirectional rotation and must not be used on reversing drives. UE inserts use a concentric (Accu-Grip®) collar: a hex screw squeezes the collar uniformly against a grooved inner ring, providing 360° contact. UE is bidirectional, generates no imbalance mass, prevents shaft marring, and is the correct choice for high-speed applications.

▶ What does the L3 suffix mean on UC and NA inserts?

L3 designates a triple lip seal instead of the standard single rubber contact seal. The triple lip seal has three contact lips that provide greater contamination exclusion than the single seal. It is specified for dusty, wet, or heavily contaminated environments where the standard seal lifespan is insufficient. L3 inserts are dimensionally identical to standard inserts at the same designation and are directly interchangeable in the same housing.

▶ What is the difference between spherical O.D. and cylindrical O.D. inserts?

Spherical O.D. inserts (UC, NA, UE, SA, UK, UD series) have a convex spherical outer surface that self-aligns in the housing bore, accommodating angular misalignment and allowing the housing to be installed on an out-of-alignment shaft axis. Cylindrical O.D. inserts (CUC, CSA, CSB, UER, SER series) have a plain cylindrical outer surface. They are used in pressed steel housings (SAPP, SBPP, SAPF, SBPF series) where the housing bore is machined to receive the cylindrical OD directly. Cylindrical O.D. inserts cannot self-align and must be installed in a correctly aligned housing.

▶ What is the UK adapter sleeve insert and when should I use it?

UK inserts have a tapered inner bore instead of a parallel cylindrical bore. A separate adapter sleeve (ordered separately by sleeve designation) fits between the UK insert and the shaft, using the taper to clamp the insert to the shaft without touching the shaft surface directly. The sleeve distributes clamping force over its full length, providing true 360° shaft contact with no setscrew indentation or eccentric collar marking on the shaft surface. UK inserts are specified for applications where the shaft will be reused between bearing replacements, where shock loads can damage setscrew or eccentric collar retention, or where the shaft surface is rough-turned.

▶ What is the UD flush-back insert and when is it used?

UD inserts have a non-extending (flush-back) inner ring — the inner ring does not protrude beyond the outer ring face on either side. This flush-back design allows the UD insert to be mounted in a standard housing where the inner ring protrusion of a UC insert would interfere with adjacent components or the machine frame. The bore tolerance of UD inserts is more precise than standard UC inserts, allowing press-fit shaft mounting in some applications.

▶ What is the MOQ for bearing inserts?

Standard parts: quantity-based MOQ per model number. New-client samples: 1–5 pcs at sample price for first-time buyers. Multi-model orders: aggregate orders of USD 1,500 or more across models accepted. Retail (1–2 pcs): not accepted. Engineering drawings required before order confirmation for non-standard configurations.

Ready to Specify Your Bearing Inserts?

Provide shaft diameter, locking style (setscrew / eccentric / concentric / adapter sleeve), inner ring width (wide or narrow), O.D. type (spherical or cylindrical), duty rating, and any seal requirement (standard or L3). New-client samples available. Multi-model orders from USD 1,500 accepted.