First, separate noises turn into metallic sounds like rattling or hammering. The vibration gets louder, and heat or red coloration appears. The exhaust appears wet and oozy, indicating leakage of lubricating oil. It would be helpful to keep track of such early signs to avoid the total failure of bearings and possible expensive estimations or shutdowns. Regular inspection is crucial.
Higher temperatures can hint at a higher friction rate. It is due to the degradation of lubricants. Experiencing vibrations amounts to judging imbalance or at least deformation via the machine's housing in operation. They may expose signs of corrosion, abrasive indications, or oil stains on the surface of the contact moving parts.
This article will discuss what is one of the first signs of bearing failure and how to tackle it.
7 Main Bearing Failure Symptoms
Whenever you question, “What is one of the first signs of bearing failure?” remember that there is never only one symptom or sign. The failure of bearings must be inspected on time. Or else the disruptions it can cause within operations and the expense of repairs is high.
Some of the first symptoms that would be evident include:
Unusual Voices
Now, to answer the question: What is one of the first signs of bearing failure? Here is the answer. The first indications of bearing failure could even be loud and unusual sounds. These noises may be music to the ears if detected early enough, but a nightmare if allowed to escalate.
While bearings make little or no noise during optimal use, they may produce grinding, squealing, or knocking noise during failure. These noises are mostly caused by misalignment, vibration at higher frequencies, or mechanical damage to the bearing surface.
Increased Vibration
Another clear symptom of bearing issues that could be identified is high vibrations. When the bearing wears out or gets more damaged, it results in more vibration in the machinery than usual.
All of these vibrations allow for the detection of problems related to balance. For example, misalignment and looseness within the bearing can be ‘felt’ through the machine's housing.
Elevated Temperature
Some bearings are used while in distress; therefore, they are characterized by high heat levels due to friction. A stable or sudden increase in optimum temperature may indicate a deficient lubrication system. The applied load is beyond the bearing capacity, or the bearings are worn out.
Fatigue or excessive damage can also cause some equipment components to have an uneven temperature or hot spots. Utilizing thermal imaging cameras or infrared thermometers will assist in identifying these issues at an early stage.
Lubrication Issues
Correct lubrication must be applied to bearings to ensure they last long. Signs of lubrication problems, hence, include ease of lubricant or oil stains near the bearing seals, color change of the lubricant, or increased accumulation of particles in the lubricant.
Lubrication also plays a significant role in improving the life of the bearing by providing the important parameter of lubrication, and a lack of contaminated oil can reduce its life.
Physical Wear and Damage
Visual examination can be undertaken on this bearing and other adjacent parts. This mainly occurs through metal-to-metal rubbing and fatigue, acting as pits, spalls, or scores on the bearing surfaces.
Any rust or corrosion on the bearings implies a poor maintenance culture or environmental contamination.
Operational Inefficiency
When bearings fail, the machines' efficiency or productivity usually decreases, suggesting diminished capacity. This can manifest as reduced speed, increased energy consumption, or the pump’s inability to maintain the right operating parameters.
Excessive Play or Movement
Bearings should not be free to move within the housing or on the shaft but fit well within and on the shaft. Play or movement beyond acceptable levels can reveal themselves as wear or improper installation by merely touching the shaft and looking at the bearing. This condition is so risky that it may lead to other mechanical problems within the car if not well handled.
6 Major Causes of Bearing Failure
Bearing failure results from various factors. Some influence efficiency, while others tend to be more frequent and random failures with high recurrent expense.
A few causes of bearing failure are:
Inadequate Lubrication
Their analysis shows that the most frequent reason for bearing failure is properly non-lubricating the bearings. This may emanate from a lack of or the wrong type of lubricating materials and the presence of dirt, water, or other interferences.
If there is a lack of lubricating film, rough surface contact becomes possible, and bearing fatigue and ultimate bearing failure occur faster.
Contamination
Dirt and dust: moisture penetration into the bearing housing can contaminate the lubricant and thereby cause abrasion and corrosion.
Flaws arise when the covers are opened for inspection or servicing, when the sealing is improper, or due to the surrounding environment. To reduce this risk, clean handling or proper sealing can solve the problem.
Misalignment
Bearings are designed to align the shaft relative to the housing in a certain state. Problems may arise during installation or operation due to incorrect fastening, shaft bending, or expansion effects. Bearings that are not correctly aligned tend to distribute load unevenly and thus fail faster than required.
Electrical Damage
The current flow through bearings leads to arcing of the bearing surfaces and pitting of the bearing brick surfaces.
This is especially evident in electric motors where ground may be poor or insulation blown. All these electrical damages result in bearing surface degradation, increased friction, and failure.
Insufficient Maintenance
Maintenance activities such as lubrication checks, contamination control, or even alignment bearing verification may not be done regularly, which causes wear and tear on the bearings. This type of strategy entails planning, and planning the maintenance activity will ensure that faults are detected and corrected before causing failure.
What is one of the first signs of bearing failure?
The initial signs of failure as applied to bearings normally include a rise in the noise level. An ideal bearing assembly does not make noises but generates strange sounds such as screeching, grinding, or even knocking when they have started degrading. Such noises occur from rolling contact, improper shaft alignment, or damage to the bearings.
The sooner the noise is detected, the sooner it will be known that the bearing surfaces have begun to deteriorate, even if the increased vibration, temperature, or lack of lubrication is still objectionable.
This way, bearing problems can be noted at their minimum when other signs are apparent and before they cause extensive harm to the machinery. Additional methods, such as vibration analysis or acoustic monitoring, can improve the likelihood of bearing wear by identifying its first indicators and applying the correction.
Conclusion
Lastly, identifying signs of bearing failure early is crucial for ensuring optimal machinery operation and avoiding high expenses. For example, if one hears strange loud sounds, grating, or squeaking, this is usually a sign that bearings are worn out and that there is significant high friction. Additional symptoms such as an increase in temperature, vibration level, and lubrication characteristics are indications of bearing difficulty.
Proactive assessment and immediate corrective measures can increase the bearing length by at least ten times and make the machine run more smoothly.
Daily and periodic checks, proper lubrication, and correct assembling methods of bearings are key strategies that should be followed to eliminate bearing failure and improve operation efficiency. Since the question “What is one of the first signs of bearing failure?” asked a lot, we hope this article helped answer these questions.
FAQs
1. What are the signs of bearing failure?
A. Sudden noise during operation is one of the main signs of bearing failures. This noise is mainly created when the raceways of the bearing become damaged, causing the rolling elements to rattle or bounce.
2. What is the first indicator that a bearing is wearing out?
A. When the bearing is in bad shape, a grinding noise will occur.
3. Do bearings give warnings before they fail?
A. There are warning signs before the bearings fail. For instance, the fundamental frequency and harmony decrease, the machine temperatures rise, and overbearing noises occur.
4. What is the biggest cause of bearing failure?
A. The major cause of bearing failure is improper lubrication.