ABEC Rating for Inline and Quad Skate Bearings

Definition: ABEC stands for Annular Bearing Engineers’ Committee. This committee established the standards used for bearings by the Anti-Friction Bearing Manufacturers Association (AFBMA).

The ABEC rating of skate bearings is based on a scale that is used to measure the precision of a ball bearing. The scale uses levels 1 (ISO Class 0), 3 (ISO Class 6), 5 (ISO Class 5), 7 (ISO Class 4) and 9 (ISO Class2), with 9 being the most precise to classify accuracy and tolerance ranges for bearings. For example, the ABEC rating of a size 608 size bearing is established with the following information:

1. How close the bore is to 8mm in microns
2. How close the outer diameter is to 22 in microns
3. How close the width is to 7mm in microns
4. The accuracy of rotation in microns

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) defines the tolerance classes for each bearing rating. Both rating systems are used in industries that use bearings, but ABEC system is more commonly seen in use by skating equipment manufacturers. The ABEC rating is not be the only standard to use when choosing bearings for inline skating.

Also Known As: Annular Bearing Engineers’ Committee