Bosch FD number production date decode, explained

Every Bosch appliance, whether it’s a refrigerator or a mixer, has a production date, which is encoded in the FD (Factory Date) number. The production date is actually decoded very simply and here is how you can understand any FD number.

FD Number Structure

The structure of the FD number is straightforward and initially provides the following information:

• Decade: The first digit indicates the decade number, representing a range of years, such as 2020-2029.
• Year: The second digit corresponds to the specific year within that decade, matching the last digit of the year.
• Month: The following two digits denote the month, ranging from 01 to 12.

The main challenge lies in interpreting the decade since it lacks a direct reference to specific years. For example, “00” represents the decade of 2020-2029. This system was established early on when the company began marking the manufacturing date on its products. The digit “0” could signify the decades 2020-2029 or 1920-1929. Simply put, Bosch started dating its products in 1920 and has continued this decade-based numbering system ever since.

Bosch FD decoding chart

Here is a table in which you can match the characters with the FD number to find out the date of production (month, year).

If you just want to know what year and month the FD number corresponds to, there is a table below where you can search for the FD number you are interested in and find out the production date.

Understanding the FD number on old BOSCH appliances

In older BOSCH devices, you may come across an FD number that consists of 10 digits. However, this number is actually a combination of two separate codes: the FD number, which indicates the date of production, and the Z-Nr, which identifies the production line and the specific device produced.

Since the mid-1980s, these numbers have been separated to improve readability. If you encounter a longer FD number, only the first four digits are necessary to determine the production date.