16/01/2018 12 Reasons Why Bearings Fail

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12 Reasons Why Bearings Fail

Tags: bearings (/Meta/Tags/bearings)

Things break. No matter what you do, there is always a chance that products will fail. The same holds
true for bearings, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t prevent many of the issues that result in costly
downtime.

This article is a guide to the major factors that can lead to bearing failure as well as how you can
prevent the issues from happening. By learning more about these potential problems and knowing
how to stop them, you can get the most life out of your bearings and make your application much
stronger.

1. Lubrication Failure
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16/01/2018 12 Reasons Why Bearings Fail
According to a recent study, up to 80 percent of bearing failures are caused by improper lubrication.
This includes insu cient lubrication, use of improper lubricants or excessive temperatures that
degrade the lubricant.

What to Look for

Look for discolored rolling elements (such as blue or brown) and rolling-element tracks as well as
overheating or excessive wear in the bearing.

How to Fix it
Use the appropriate type and correct amount of lubricant, avoid grease loss, and follow appropriate
relubrication intervals.

2. Contamination
Contamination is caused by foreign substances getting into bearing lubricants or cleaning solutions.
These include dirt, abrasive grit, dust, steel chips from contaminated work areas and dirty hands or
tools.

What to Look for

Watch for denting of rolling elements and raceways that cause vibration.

How to Fix it
Filter the lubricant and clean work areas, tools, xtures and hands to reduce the risk of contamination.

3. Improper Mounting
In most instances, bearings should be mounted with a press t on the rotating ring.

What to Look for

A number of conditions can cause denting, wear, cracked rings, high operating temperatures, early
fatigue and premature failure of bearings. These include mounting bearings on shafts by applying
pressure or blows to the outer race, mounting bearings into a housing by pressing on the inner ring,
loose shaft ts, loose housing ts, excessively tight ts, out-of-round housings and a poor nish on the
bearing seat.

How to Fix it
Follow proper mounting instructions and provide training to ensure all employees understand the
difference between a properly and improperly installed mounting.

4. Misalignment
Bent shafts, out-of-square shaft shoulders, out-of-square spacers, out-of-square clamping nuts and
improper installation due to loose ts can cause misalignment, which may result in overheating and
separator failure.

What to Look for

A wear path that is not parallel to the raceway edges of the non-rotating ring should be noted.
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16/01/2018 12 Reasons Why Bearings Fail

How to Prevent it
Inspect shafts and housings for runout of shoulders and bearing seats, and use precision-grade
locknuts.

5. False Brinelling
Rapid movement of the balls in a raceway while equipment is idle wears away at the lubrication. In
addition, a lack of rotation in the bearing does not allow fresh lubricant to return to the spot. Both of
these conditions result in false brinelling.

What to Look for

You may see linear wear marks in the axial direction at the rolling-element pitch or no raised edges as
opposed to marks due to incorrect mounting.

How to Fix it
Eliminate or absorb external vibration that could cause the balls to move. Also, be sure to use
lubricants containing anti-wear additives.

6. Corrosion
Moisture, acid, low-quality or broken-down grease, poor wrappings and condensation from excessive
temperature reversals can cause corrosion that is abrasive to the nely nished surfaces of ball and
roller bearings.

What to Look for

Look for red and brown stains or deposits on rolling elements, raceways or cages, as well as increased
vibration followed by wear, an increase in radial clearance or loss of the preload.

How to Fix it
Divert corrosive uids away from bearing areas. Select integrally sealed bearings and consider
external seals for particularly hostile environments. Using the proper bearing material, such as
stainless steel, can help if you cannot avoid a corrosive environment.

7. Electrical Damage (Fluting)

Constant passage of alternating or direct current, even with low currents, can lead to electrical
damage.

What to Look for

Brownish marks may be observed parallel to the axis on a large part of the raceway or covering the
entire raceway circumference.  

How to Fix it
Prevent electrical currents from owing through the bearing by grounding or using insulated bearings.

8. Fatigue (Spalling)
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16/01/2018 12 Reasons Why Bearings Fail
Spalling is often the result of overloading, an excessive preload, tight inner-ring ts and using the
bearing beyond its calculated fatigue life.

What to Look for

Fatigue can be indicated by the fracture of running surfaces and subsequent removal of small,
discrete particles of material from the inner ring, outer ring or rolling elements. Spalling is progressive
and will spread with continued operation. It is always accompanied by a noticeable increase in
vibration and noise.

How to Fix it
Replace the bearing and/or consider a redesign that uses a bearing with greater calculated fatigue life,
internal clearances, and proper shaft and housing recommendations.

9. Overheating
Overheating is generally the result of excessive operating temperatures and improper lubrication. High
temperatures can cause grease to bleed (purge the oil), which reduces the lubricant’s e ciency. In
elevated temperature conditions, oxidation can lead to the loss of lubricating oils from the grease,
leaving a dry, crusty soap that can seize the bearing. Higher temperatures also reduce the hardness of
the metal, causing early failure.

What to Look for

Note any discoloration of the rings, rolling elements and cages. In extreme cases, the bearing
components will deform. Higher temperatures can also degrade or destroy the lubricant.

How to Fix it
Thermal or overload controls, adequate heat paths and supplemental cooling are among the best
options to mitigate overheating.

10. Excessive Loads

Putting too much load on a bearing is another common cause of failure.

What to Look for

You may see heaving rolling-element wear paths, evidence of overheating and widespread fatigue
areas.

How to Fix it
Reduce the load or consider a redesign using a bearing with greater capacity.

11. Improper Storage and Handling

Improper storage exposes bearings to dampness and dust. Storing bearings in excessively high
temperatures can also degrade a grease’s shelf life, so always check with the grease manufacturer for
storage speci cations. Handling bearings by opening boxes and tearing wrappings prematurely can let
in dirt and expose bearings to corrosive elements.

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16/01/2018 12 Reasons Why Bearings Fail

What to Look for

Watch for dampness and temperatures that can cause rust and/or uncovered bearings in a storage
area.

How to Fix it
Store bearings in a dry area at room temperature. Always cover bearings to keep them clean while in
storage and take them to the installation site before unwrapping.

12. Fit
A tight t can be caused by excessive loading of the rolling element when interference ts exceed the
radial clearance at operating temperatures. Micro-motion between tted parts where the ts are too
loose in relation to the acting forces may result in a loose t.

What to Look for

For a tight t, look for a heavy rolling-element wear path in the bottom of the raceway, overheating or
an inner-ring axial crack. For a loose t, note any fretting (generation of ne metal particles), which
leaves a distinctive brown color. Wear at the tting surfaces can cause noise and runout problems.

How to Fix it
Make sure a proper clearance is selected to avoid t issues. Refer to the manufacturer’s installation
guide.

Preventing Failures
By becoming aware of the different problems that can cause a bearing failure and the signs to look for,
you have already taken a big step toward limiting machine failures. Of course, you don’t have to wait
for the symptoms of a bearing failure to take action. Regular preventive measures can keep your
bearings at peak performance for as long as possible, saving your business time and money. 

About the Author

Chris Wilson is the corporate operations manager at Ritbearing Corporation
(http://www.ritbearing.com/products/), an international distributor of ball and roller bearings which
also specializes in custom-engineered bearing solutions. Contact Chris at cwilson@ritbearing.com
(mailto:cwilson@ritbearing.com). 

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