TS ISO 5593

TS ISO 5593 is a vocabulary standard for rolling bearings and the technology around them. It brings the core language of bearing design, manufacture, maintenance, and technical communication into one consistent reference, so the same component and function names are used with the same meaning across documents and organisations.

What the terminology set covers

The standard includes terms for all types of rolling bearings whose principal degree of freedom is continuous rotation about an axis, enabled by an ordered set of rolling elements between two circular raceways. In general technical terms, this is the defining mechanism of rolling bearings: loads are transferred through rolling contact rather than sliding contact, which is why bearing terminology must clearly distinguish the geometry, load direction, and functional parts involved. Accessories to these products are also included.

Boundaries of the vocabulary

• Terms already specified in ISO 76, ISO 281 and ISO 1132-1 are not included here.
• Terms that are narrowly applied only in one specialised rolling bearing International Standard are also excluded.
• This keeps the document focused on shared, cross-bearing terminology rather than highly product-specific language.

From a technical documentation perspective, a vocabulary standard like this helps define where common terms stop and specialised usage begins. It supports consistent interpretation of concepts such as radial and axial loading, raceways, rolling elements, cages, and accessories without turning the document into a design standard. TS ISO 5593 is therefore most useful as a terminology reference for engineers, cataloguers, trainers, and anyone preparing or reading bearing-related technical information.