Bearing Damage and Failure Analysis 1729248401

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Muhammad Hussain Imran

In ORING, We develop the maintenance


operations on industrial, construction and
service organizations.

By providing a professional engineering


training designed for Egypt & MENA market
which cover technical and managerial
knowledge required.

2
COURSES
• Maintenance management
• Hydraulics
• Heavy Equipment Hydraulics
• Industrial Hydraulics
• Diesel Engine
• H.E Electronics
• Powertrain
• Bearing

3
Session 1

Fund am e ntal Of Rolling Element


Bearing Failure
Every Bearing Failure Tells a Story…
Common Types of Bearing
Failures
• Normal fatigue • Lubrication
• Excessive load • Corrosion
• Overheating • Loose fits
• False brinelling • Preload
• True brinelling • Electrical fluting
• Misalignment
• Installation damage
• Reverse loading
• Contamination
Rolling Bearing Damage

Symptoms C auses Remedies


False brinelling
Fundamental Of Rolling Element
Bearing Failure
False brinelling
Symptoms
• Elliptical wear marks in an
axial direction at each
rolling element position
with a bright finish and
sharp demarcation

• Often surrounded by a
ring of brown debris
False brinelling
Causes
• Vibrations in stationary
machines leading to
micromotion between
rolling elements &
raceways

• When the bearing isn’t


turning, an oil film
cannot be formed to
prevent raceway wear
False brinelling
Remedies
• Eliminate or absorb
external vibration

• Use lubricants containing


anti-wear additives
Overheating
Fundamental Of Rolling Element
Bearing Failure
Overheating
Symptoms
• Discoloration of the rings,
rolling elements and
cages from gold to blue
• Temperatures in excess of
400°F can anneal ring and
rolling element materials,
reducing the
bearing capacity and
causing early failure
• In extreme cases, the
bearing components will
deform
• Temperature rise can also
degrade or destroy
lubricant
Overheating
Causes
• Heavy electrical heat
loads
• Inadequate heat paths
• Insufficient cooling or
lubrication when loads
and speed are excessive
Overheating
Remedies
• Thermal or overload
controls
• Adequate heat paths
• Supplem ental cooling
Outer Ring Fracture
Fundamental Of Rolling Element
Bearing Failure
Outer Ring
Fracture
Symptoms
• Typically, a crack spreads
evenly in the
circumferential direction,
with several fractured
pieces often originating
• With axial load, fractures
usually occur a little
beyond the middle of the
raceway
Outer Ring
Fracture
Causes
• Poor support of the rings in
the bearing housing
Outer Ring
Fracture
Remedies
• Improvement in bearing
mounting
• Follow Manufacturer
mounting instructions for
appropriate
recommendations
Misalignment
Fundamental Of Rolling Element
Bearing Failure
Misalignment
Symptoms
• A wear path not parallel to
raceway edges on the
raceway of the non-
rotating ring
Misalignment
Causes
• Bent shafts
• Burrs or dirt on shaft or
housing shoulders
• Shaft threads that are not
square with shaft seats
• Locking nuts with faces
that are not
square to the thread axis
Misalignment
Remedies
• Inspect shafts and
housings for runout of
shoulders and bearing
seats
• Use single point-turned or
ground threads on non-
hardened shafts and
ground threads only on
hardened shafts
• Use precision grade
locknuts
Slippage Tracks
Fundamental Of Rolling Element
Bearing Failure
Slippag e Tracks
Symptoms
• Spotted smear marks
• Roughening of rolling
elements or raceways
• Occasionally occurs if
load zones are too short,
causing rolling elements
to brake in the unloaded
zone and accelerate
again when entering the
load zone
Slippag e Tracks
Causes
• Rolling elements slide on
the raceways when the
load is low and lubrication
is poor
Slippag e Tracks
Remedies
• Select bearings with lower
load carrying capacity
• Preload bearings
• Reduce bearing clearance
• Improve lubrication
Tight Fits
Fundamental Of Rolling Element
Bearing Failure
Tight Fits
Symptoms
• A heavy rolling element
wear path in the bottom of
the raceway
Tight Fits
Causes
• Excessive loading of the
rolling elements when
interference fits exceed
the radial clearance at
operating temperatures
• Continued operation
under such conditions
leads to rapid wear and
fatigue
Tight Fits
Remedies
• Decrease total
interference with better
matching of bearings to
shafts and housings
• Consider operating
temperatures
• Increased radial
clearance in bearing
selection
Axial Cracks
Fundamental Of Rolling Element
Bearing Failure
Axial Cracks
Symptoms
• Inner ring partly or
completely cracked in the
axial direction
• Slightly rounded fractured
edges indicate that the
fracture originated during
operation and was cycled
(cracked edges may
break off after prolonged
operation)
• Sharp edged cracks
indicate fracture during
dismounting
Axial Cracks
Causes
• Bearing slippage
• Rotation of inner ring on
the shaft
• Inadequate lubrication
• Too tight of fit to shaft
• Grooved shaft
• Out-of-roundness
• Grazing against
surrounding parts
Axial Cracks
Remedies
• Improve lubrication with
additives or increased oil
quantities
• Select suitable fit
• Avoid grazing
• Provide for better seating
conditions
• Consider special heat
treatment for rings
Normal Fatigue
Fundamental Of Rolling Element
Bearing Failure
Normal Fatigue
Symptoms
• Often referred to as
spalling; indicated by the
fracture of the running
surfaces and subsequent
removal of small discrete
particles of material from
the inner ring, outer ring or
rolling elements
• Spalling is progressive,
and once initiated will
spread with continued
operation
• Always a c companied by a
noticeable increase in
vibration
Normal Fatigue
Causes
• Bearing has remained in
operation beyond its
calculated fatigue life
Normal Fatigue
Remedies
• Replace the bearing
and/or consider
redesigning to use a
bearing with a greater
calculated fatigue life
True Brinelling
Fundamental Of Rolling Element
Bearing Failure
True Brinelling
Symptoms
• Brinell marks appear as
indentations in the
raceways, increasing
bearing vibration (noise)
• Severe Brinell marks can
cause premature
fatigue failure
True Brinelling
Causes
• Static overload of the
bearing
• Severe impact to the
bearing
• Using a hammer to install
the bearing
• Dropping or striking
assembled equipment
• Pressing a bearing onto
the shaft by applying
force to the outer ring
True Brinelling
Remedies
• Observe static load
ratings in making bearing
selection

• Install bearings using


appropriate equipment
and by applying force only
to the ring being
press-fitted
Contamin ation
Fundamental Of Rolling Element
Bearing Failure
Contamination
Symptoms
• Denting of rolling elements
and raceways, causing
vibration
Contamination
Causes
• Air-born dust, dirt or
abrasive substances from
contaminated work areas

• Dirty hands or tools

• Foreign matter in
lubricants or cleaning
solutions
Contamination
Remedies
• Clean work areas, tools,
fixtures and hands reduce
the risks

• Isolate bearing assembly


area from any grinding
operations
• Leave bearings in their
original packaging until
time of installation

• For contaminated
operating environments,
sealing arrangements
should be considered
Lubrication Failure
Fundamental Of Rolling Element
Bearing Failure
Lubrication
Failure
Symptoms
• Discolored rolling
elements (blue/brown)
and rolling element tracks

• Excessive wear of rolling


elements, rings, and cages
follow, resulting in
overheating and
catastrophic failure
Lubrication
Failure
Causes
• Restricted lubricant flow

• Excessive temperatures
that degrade the lubricant
Lubrication
Failure
Remedies
• Use of the appropriate
and correct amount of
lubricant

• Ensure proper bearing fit

• Control preload to reduce


bearing temperatures
Corrosion
Fundamental Of Rolling Element
Bearing Failure
Corrosion
Symptoms
• Red/brown stains or
deposits on rolling
elements, raceways or
cages

• Increased vibration
followed by wear

• Increase in radial
clearance or loss of
preload
Corrosion
Causes
• Exposing bearings to
corrosive fluids or
atmospheres
Corrosion
Remedies
• Divert corrosive fluids
away from bearing areas

• Use integrally sealed


bearings

• Consider external seals for


particularly hostile
environments
Fluting
Fundamental Of Rolling Element
Bearing Failure
Fluting
Symptoms
• Brownish marks parallel to
the axis on a large part of
the raceway, or covering
the entire raceway
circumference
Fluting
Causes
• Constant passage of
alternating or direct
current

• Even low currents


Fluting
Remedies
• Prevent currents from
flowing through the
bearing by means of
grounding or insulating

• Use current insulated


bearings
Excessive Loads
Fundamental Of Rolling Element
Bearing Failure
Excessive Loads
Symptoms
• Heavy rolling element
wear paths

• Evidence of overheating

• Widespread fatigue areas


(spalling)
Excessive Loads
Causes
• Excessive loading of the
bearing
Excessive Loads

• Reduce the load

• Redesign using a bearing


with greater capacity
Lip Fracture
Fundamental Of Rolling Element
Bearing Failure
Lip Fracture
Symptoms
• Supporting lips are partly
or completely broken off
or cracked
Lip Fracture
Causes
• Axial load unacceptably
high

• Lip insufficiently supported

• Axial shock load

• Mounting damage
Lip Fracture
Remedies
• Ensure good lip support
design

• Keep load within specified


limits

• Observe appropriate
mounting instructions &
procedures
Fretting
Fundamental Of Rolling Element
Bearing Failure
Fretting
Symptoms
• Fretting, the generation of
fine metal particles which
oxidize, leaving a
distinctive brown color

• Wear at the fitting


surfaces causing noise &
run-out problems
• Possible fatigue fracture

• Possible disturbance of
floating bearing function
Fretting
Causes
• Micromotion between
fitted parts where the fits
are too loose in relation to
the acting forces
Fretting
Remedies
• Follow mounting
instructions for
appropriate fit
recommenda tions
Seizure
Fundamental Of Rolling Element
Bearing Failure
Seizure
Symptoms
• Partial or large-area
welding and deep
scratches in the lip and
roller face areas

• Also lubricant coking in


this area
Seizure
Causes
• Inadequate lubrication
with high loads and high
speeds (quantity or
operating viscosity of
lubricant too low)
• Inadequate lubrication
with high loads and low
speeds (when there is no
hydrodynamic lubricating
film between the roller
face and lip)
Seizure
Remedies
• Detrimental preload due
to heat expansion

• Skewing of rollers due to


raceway wear or ring
tilting

• Axial load too high on


cylindrical roller bearings

• Axial preload too high for


out-of-square mating
surfaces
Reverse Load
Fundamental Of Rolling Element
Bearing Failure
Reverse Load
Symptoms
• Balls will show a grooved
wear band caused by the
ball riding over the outer
edge of the raceway
Reverse Load
Causes
• Angular contact ball
bearings are designed to
accept an axial load in
one direction only
• When loaded in the
opposite direction, the
elliptical contact area on
the outer ring is truncated
by the low shoulder on
that side of the outer ring
• Result is excessive stress
and an increase in
temperature, followed by
increased vibration and
early failure
Reverse Load
Remedies
• Balls will show a grooved
wear band caused by the
ball riding over the outer
edge of the raceway
• Ensure proper installation
of angular contact
bearings
Thanks

Muhammad Hussain Imran

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