Bearing know-how

for rewinders
Frequently asked questions
with answers
2
Frequently asked questions with answers
Contents Page
2. SKF rolling bearings in electric motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3. Bearing usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4. Bearing arrangements in electric motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
5. Dismounting bearings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
6. Bearing failure analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
7. Lubrication of bearings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
8. Mounting bearings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Bearing know-how
for rewinders
The most common questions connected with bearings in
electric motors have been compiled together with the
answers. They form an easily accessible source of knowledge.
The questions are collected for each chapter which makes it
easy to find a certain topic.
Question
1. Why should the rust protection
on new bearings not be cleaned
off?
2. What is false brinelling?
3. If rolling bearings have such a
low friction why do they need to be
lubricated?
4. Are deep groove ball bearings
suitable for the drive end of a
motor with belt drive?
5. Can a cylindrical roller bearing
e.g. NU 210 be replaced by a deep
groove ball bearing e.g. 6210,
which has the same boundary
dimensions?
6. Why shall a motor not be tested
without load?
7. Do hybrid bearings need any
lubricant?
Answer
1. New bearings are clean and ready to be lubricated. The
layer of rust protection should not be removed. Keep the
bearings in the original package until they are to be mounted.
2. When a motor is at standstill it can be exposed to vibra-
tions from machines in the surrounding area. The rolling
elements in the bearings will transfer the vibrations from
the outer ring to the inner ring. If the bearing does not ro-
tate the rolling elements will be hammering on the same
point all the time and that will cause corrosion and wear,
forming shallow depressions in the raceways. This pheno-
menon is also called false brinelling. By frequently rota-
ting the shaft this can be avoided.
3. When metal surfaces are in contact under high load
there will be wear and high temperature, which will rapid-
ly make the bearing unusable. Proper lubrication separates
the surfaces and wear is prevented. The lubricant also re-
duces the friction further and power will be saved.
4. Normally not, as the radial loads could be high. The best
solution is to use a cylindrical roller bearing or a CARB
bearing.
5. Yes, but certain precautions have to be taken. If a
cylindrical roller bearing of the type NU or N is being
replaced by a deep groove ball bearing, the outer ring fit
has to be modified to allow axial movement of the outer
ring of the ball bearing. Also check that no mechanical stop
will restrict this movement.
This replacement is sometimes called for when a belt-
drive motor is rebuilt for coupling-drive operation
6. In order to guarantee satisfactory operation all rolling
bearings must always be subjected to a given minimum
load.
Rotation without load can damage the bearing. Consult
the SKF General catalogue for advice about the size of the
minimum load for the bearing in question.
7. Yes, they do. Open hybrid bearings should be lubricated
with a high performance grease, e.g. SKF LGHP 2. Sealed
SKF hybrid bearings are supplied filled with a high per-
formance grease (suffix WT) to obtain longest possible
service life.
3
2. SKF rolling bearings in electric motors
8. Why can hybrid bearings be
operated at such high speeds?
9. Should one bearing be insulated
only or both?
10. Is the electrical insulating layer
a thermal insulator as well? How is
heat conducted away?
11. Can an INSOCOAT bearing be
used as an axially free bearing?
12. Why do all INSOCOAT bear-
ings have brass cages?
13. Is there anything I should think
about when fitting INSOCOAT
bearings?
14. Is the insulation sensitive to
damage?
15. I cant find the bearings I want
in the standard INSOCOAT range.
What do I do?
8. In bearings that operate at very high speed the centrifu-
gal forces from the mass of the rolling elements will be
considerable. These forces will increase the total radial
load on the bearing. Thus the life will be somewhat lower
and the heat higher. The mass of a ceramic rolling element
is 60 % lower than for a steel one and so the load and the
temperature will be lower. Therefore higher speed can be
allowed.
9. That depends on the motor. Induction motors normally
need to be insulated on the non-driven side only, but DC
motors should be insulated on both.
10. The layer does not conduct heat as well as steel does,
but it is so thin that it makes no difference in practice.
Experiments have shown that the working temperature of
the bearing, measured at the outer ring, rises by no more
than 23 C.
11. Yes, its common to use it as the axially free bearing.
The material in the bearing housing determines the friction
coefficient.
12. We have chosen a type of cage that suits most ma-
chines and working conditions. It would be prohibitively
expensive to double the range by offering two types of
cages. However, we can offer pressed steel cages for larger
quantities (> 1 000 units a year).
13. INSOCOAT bearings are fitted in the same way as
standard bearings. It is useful to have a 15 chamfer in the
bearing seating to facilitate fitting. Every package contains
a few suggestions on fitting.
14. You can handle an INSOCOAT bearing just like you
would an ordinary bearing hitting either with a hammer
is not advisable.
15. Ask SKF! We may already manufacture them in the
size you need for someone else many different sizes are
used in the railway industry. Provided that the quantity is
large enough, bearing sizes not in the standard range can be
produced.
4
16. What decides permissible op-
erating temperature for a bearing? 16. It is often the lubricant, which sets the temperature
limit. SKF rolling bearings can generally be used at oper-
ating temperatures up to +120 C. For bearings with shields
or seals on both sides the grease in the bearings decides the
temperature limits to 30 and +110 C.
If the operating temperature is above +120 C, the bear-
ings must be specially heat treated. Of course high tem-
perature grease has to be used in such cases.
5
Question
1. Why is it so important not to
change from C3 clearance to
Normal?
2. You said Always use the same
bearing as specified by the manu-
facturer but also There is a trend
to replace deep groove ball bear-
ings with sealed or shielded ones.
Is this not contradictory?
3. Why does a motor become
more silent when the deep groove
ball bearings are axially spring
preloaded?
4. Too small a bearing clearance
can result in bearing failure, please
describe how.
5. It is recommended that the shaft
in a motor at standstill, and subjec-
ted to vibrations, should be slowly
rotated in order to avoid damage to
the bearings. Please clarify.
6. When talking about heat stabil-
ising it is said that: unwanted
structural changes in the material
cause dimensional changes in the
bearing components. What does
that mean?
Answer
1. Because the clearance C3 is greater than Normal there is
a risk that the clearance during operation can be too small if
clearance Normal is used. This will result in increased bear-
ing temperature and deteriorated lubrication. In the worst
case it can lead to bearing failure.
2. For a motor used at temperatures below 100 C there is no
risk in changing to sealed or shielded deep groove ball bear-
ings of the same series. However, for high speed motors,
check that the motor speed is not higher than the speed rating
of the actual sealed bearing.
For bearings operating at temperatures above 100 C both
the seals and the standard grease limit the operating temper-
ature to +110 C. For motors operated above +110 C the
change to sealed or shielded bearing should not take place.
3. Due to the axial load all balls are loaded the whole time
and in constant contact with the raceways which gives the
bearings a more silent running. The rotor is better guided and
centered, which will lead to reduced vibration and thus make
the motor more silent.
4. Too small a clearance means that the bearing can be
radially preloaded with increased running temperature as a
consequence. When the temperature is increased the lubrica-
tion is deteriorated. This means that the temperature will be
even further increased.
The process is in a vicious circle which, in the worst case
can end up with bearing failure.
5. When a bearing at standstill is subjected to vibrations the
rolling elements will be hammering on the same point of the
raceway the whole time. By this the lubricant will be pushed
away and wear will occur forming shallow depressions in the
raceway. By rotating the shaft, both the rolling elements and
the inner ring will change position all the time and the
lubricant will stay in place. In this way this kind of damage
is prevented.
6. When bearing steel is exposed to temperatures above
+120 C for a long period of time the rings will grow. This
can e.g. mean that the interference fit on the inner ring be-
comes loose and a relative movement occurs between the
inner ring and the shaft which will generate wear and
smearing. By a special heat treatment of the rings this
process is prevented.
6
3. Bearing usage
Question
1. Why is it so important to have
one of the bearings on a shaft non-
locating?
2. How can the cross-location
arrangement function when both
bearings are locating?
3. Can a cylindrical roller bearing
be replaced by a deep groove ball
bearing?
4. What is the reason for changing
from a cylindrical roller bearing to
a deep groove ball bearing?
5. Is it possible to change from a
deep groove ball bearing to a
cylindrical roller bearing?
6. What is the reason for changing
from a deep groove ball bearing to
a cylindrical roller bearing?
7. When should a toroidal roller
bearing, CARB, be used in electric
motors?
8. Why are deep groove ball bear-
ings often spring preloaded in
electric motors?
Answer
1. The bearing arrangement must accommodate the ther-
mal expansion and shortening of the shaft respectively. If
both bearings are axially located these movements of the
shaft can not take place and the bearings will be subjected
to internal thrust loads which may be heavy. Thus the bear-
ing lives will be shortened and in the worst case result in
early bearing failures.
2. The bearings locate the shaft in one direction each and
there must be a small axial play to avoid internal thrust
loading of the bearings. This arrangement is applicable on
short shafts only, which means that the shafts axial move-
ments will be relatively small and within the sum of the
axial play in the housing and the internal axial clearance of
the bearing.
3. Yes it can. If a cylindrical roller bearing of type N or NU
is replaced by a deep groove ball bearing, the outer ring fit
has to be modified to allow axial movement of the outer
ring of the ball bearing.
4. All bearings require a certain minimum load to attain a
long service life. If a belt drive motor is to be used for
coupling drive, where the load is much smaller, it is a risk
that the load on a cylindrical roller bearing is lower then
the required minimum load. In such a case it is useful to
change to a ball bearing which requires a lower minimum
load.
5. Yes it is if the deep groove ball bearing is non-locating.
However, the outer ring of the cylindrical roller bearing must
be axially located and the housing tolerance should be
changed to K7 by for instance metal coating and machining.
6. In the case a motor for coupling drive is to be used for
belt drive a stronger bearing might be needed to accom-
modate the belt forces. In such a case a change from a deep
groove ball bearing to a cylindrical roller bearing could be
advisable.
7. When the loads are high there is a risk that the shaft will
be misaligned in relation to the housing. If the drive end
bearing is non-locating CARB is the ideal solution.
8. The demand for low noise level is stringent on electric
motors and by the axial preloading the balls are loaded all
the time, which gives the bearing virtually silent running.
7
4. Bearing arrangements
9. What are the most common
reasons for high bearing noise
levels in electric motors?
9. It is often due to too low load on the bearings. In the case
of deep groove ball bearings axial spring preloading will
give the bearings virtually silent running.
The noise can also depend on misalignment of the
shaft. In cases where the noise is caused by a non-locating
bearing the use of a CARB bearing offers a good solution.
8
Question
1. Why should the right tool be
used when dismounting bearings
which anyway should be replaced?
2. If the bearings are damaged and
should be exchanged, why should
they be carefully dismounted?
3. Why should large bearings be
lifted with a belt around the outer
diameter?
4. What should be observed when a
bearing is dismounted?
5. Should a damaged bearing be
scrapped or should it be kept?
Answer
1. The bearing has to be dismounted carefully in order not
to damage the seatings which should be used for the new
bearings.
2. In order to enable examination of the bearings and find
out the cause of the damage they must be carefully
dismounted. In this way, corrective actions may be taken to
prevent a recurrence.
3. Because they are slender relative to the outer diameter
and will be ovalised if the lifting strap is applied at one
point only.
4. To make an analysis of a damaged bearing possible,
information about the bearing must be available. Please
note the following:
the position of the bearing in the motor (e.g. drive end,
non-locating etc.)
the side of the bearing which was directed outwards
how it was oriented in the housing (e.g. mark the outer
ring at 12 oclock)
the appearance of the bearing
collect a sample of the lubricant
5. In order to find the reason for the damage the bearing
has to be analysed and should therefore be kept until the
problem has been solved.
9
5. Dismounting bearings
Question
1. What is bearing fatigue?
2. Why does passage of current
occur through the bearings?
3. Which motor types run the
greatest risk of having circulating
current through the bearings?
4. Why must a bearing always
have a minimum load?
Answer
1. Normal fatigue is the life of the bearing that can be cal-
culated with a certain probability by the life equations.
Fatigue was formerly considered to be the result of stresses
cyclically appearing immediately below the load carrying
surface. It is observed as flaking or spalling of surface
material.
More recently, however, failures have increasingly
been found to initiate from the surface rather than from
cracks formed beneath the surface. The failures occur due
to surface distress. This can be from indentations caused
by over-rolled contaminants or due to lubrication prob-
lems.
These new findings are considered in the SKF Life
Method for calculation of bearing life where the clean-
liness of the lubricant and the bearing surroundings play an
important role.
2. The oil film between rolling elements and raceways has
a certain insulating effect. If the voltage exceeds a critical
value, the threshold voltage, the current will start to flow
through the bearing. The threshold voltage depends on
several factors and can vary, but as typical values 0,5 to
1 V are normal.
3. Motors used with variable frequency drives have a high
risk of circulating current through the rotor and the stator,
especially modern inverters using insulated gate bipolar
transistors (IGBT). Experience has shown that AC motors
of approximate size 315 and above suffer from circulating
current and motors below that size are at risk of capacitive
discharges. Of course, it also depends on the motor installa-
tion and use.
4. In an unloaded bearing the rolling elements and the
cage are free to move within the bearing clearance and the
rolling elements will touch the raceways in an uncontrolled
manner. These contacts will give rise to smearing which
after a certain time will result in noise.
By applying the requisite minimum load the rolling
elements and raceways are in continuous contact with each
other and smearing will not occur.
10
6. Bearing failure analysis
5. What is false brinelling?
6. Which are the most common
causes of bearing failure in electric
motors?
7. In the case of a bearing failure
what can be done to prevent the
same damage from recurring?
5. When a bearing at standstill is exposed to vibrations e.g.
from surrounding machines small relative motions between
the rolling elements and the raceways will take place. Due
to the absence of an oil film, which cannot be formed when
the bearing is not rotating, wear will occur, forming shal-
low depressions in the raceways.
The appearance of the marks is somehow similar to the
indentations at brinell testing of steel hardness and there-
fore it is called false brinelling. However, the false bri-
nelling marks have a polished appearance.
6. The most common causes are:
inadequate lubrication
wrong fits
mounting errors
contamination
incorrect bearing clearance
passage of current
vibration damage
7. Each failure mode has its own type of action, which should
be taken to avoid recurrence. This will be too long to report
here, but in the Manual for bearing health these actions are
described in the chapter Bearing failure analysis.
11
Question
1. When the rolling friction is so
low why do rolling bearings need
to be lubricated?
2. Could the same relubrication
intervals be applied for deep groove
ball bearings as for roller bearings?
3. When should greases with dif-
ferent stiffness be used?
4. Have greases of the stiffnesses
NLGI 2 and 3 the same lubricating
ability?
5. How could the very thin oil film
separate the rolling elements from
the raceways?
6. Why is cleanliness so import-
ant?
Answer
1. When metallic surfaces are in contact under heavy pres-
sure wear will occur since the rolling elements are driven
by the friction between them and the rotating ring.
Furthermore, all bearings with curved raceways, e.g.
deep groove ball bearings, have only two points where
pure rolling occurs. Between these points and outside them
there is sliding between the rolling element and the race-
way in opposite directions. Proper lubrication separates the
surfaces and wear is prevented.
2. Roller bearings require shorter relubrication intervals
than deep groove ball bearings. To have the same relub-
rication interval for both bearings the shorter roller bearing
relubrication interval must be chosen.
3. The SKF grease LGMT 2 is a soft grease with the stiff-
ness NLGI 2. It is used in most small and medium-sized
electric motors where the speed is moderate to high.
The SKF grease LGMT 3 is a thicker grease with the
stiffness NLGI 3. It can be used for vertical shafts as, due
to its stiffness, it will stay longer in the bearing compared
to an NLGI 2 grease .
4. It is the base oil in the grease that lubricates the bearing.
The base oil viscosity should be chosen with respect to the
bearing speed and expected operating temperature. See
also the answer to question 3.
5. The viscosity of the oil film increases dramatically
when it is exposed to the very high pressure in the contact
between the rolling elements and the raceway. This means
that the oil is solidified and will not be pressed out from the
contact. When the rolling elements roll on, the viscosity
returns to its original condition.
The demand for smoothness of the rolling element and
raceway surfaces is therefore very stringent.
6. Consider that the oil film is about 0,0005 mm thick.
Only particles with a size less than 0,0005 mm can pass
through the contact without damaging the surfaces. If a
hard particle with the size of a few microns is over-rolled
it will make an indentation in the raceway and sooner or
later a crack is initiated that shortens the bearing life.
This is reflected in the SKF Life Method where the
cleanliness plays a main role in achieving long bearing
lives.
12
7. Lubrication bearings
7. My company uses only lubric-
ant of a certain brand. How should
I find an equivalent to the SKF
grease e.g. LGMT 2?
8. What is meant by compatible
greases?
9. What happens if water penet-
rates into the grease in a bearing?
10. What water content can be
allowed in a lubrication grease?
11. What can I do if water has
penetrated into the grease?
12. If a bearing has failed due to
insufficient lubrication and has
been replaced with a new one, what
should be done in order to avoid the
same failure happening again?
13. Why cannot only one universal
grease be used for all motors?
7. Ask the lubricant supplier to propose an equivalent
grease to SKF LGMT 2 of their brand.
8. They contain the same soap base oil and have the same
consistency and can therefore be mixed with each other.
9. There is a great risk of corrosion on the rolling contact
surfaces of the rollers and rings. The lubricating ability of
the grease is reduced and the bearing service life will be
shortened.
10. In principle nothing at all. Even such a small content
of water in the grease as a fraction of one percent will give
a considerable reduction of the bearing service life.
11. If the bearing has seals it should be replaced with a
new one. If the bearing is open, dismount carefully and
clean it. Inspect the raceways with the bearing still
assembled. If no signs of corrosion could be detected
regrease the bearing and mount it back into the motor.
If the motor is equipped with grease valves and the
water ingress is early detected regrease the bearing until
fresh grease purges through the valve opening.
In all cases check the external seals and exchange them
if they are damaged.
12. Check the external seals and exchange them if they are
damaged. If the seals are not effective enough for the envir-
onment the motor is operated in, replace them with more
effective ones to prevent the ingress of contamination.
Check that the right quality of grease is used. Check also
the relubrication intervals so they are in accordance with
the manufacturers recommendation. If such information is
missing use the general relubrication diagram in the
Manual for bearing health to find the correct relubrica-
tion intervals.
Always relubricate the bearing when it is rotating.
13. It will not give the best lubrication under all the differ-
ent conditions the motors are operated at. In most cases it
will be a compromise and will in the worst case lead to
drastically reduced bearing service life.
13
14. The environmental issues are
very much in focus. Does any
green grease exist which can be
used in electric motors?
14. The SKF LGGB 2 is a green grease with low tox-
icity, it is biodegradable and recommended where the en-
vironment is a concern.
It can replace the SKF LGMT 2 and LGEP 2 greases
and due to the synthetic oil in SKF LGGB 2 it can be used
at low temperatures as well.
14
Question
1. Is it really necessary to use mark-
ing blue paint when checking the
shaft?
2. In connection with fits you talk
about rotating and stationary loads
etc. Which is the most common
case for electric motors?
3. In the manual you give an
example of tolerances for a bear-
ing seating and the requirement for
cylindricity is more stringent than
for the dimension of the diameter.
Why is it so?
4. If a motor has been stored for
ten years could it then be put into
operation? Have the bearings been
damaged?
5. To which temperature can bear-
ings be heated?
6. Which method is preferred
when bearings shall be heated?
7. Could bearings be heated with
an open flame if it is carefully
done?
8. The use of sealed bearings in
electric motors is increasing but
how long will the grease in these
bearings last?
Answer
1. This is the best way to do it but if marking blue paint is
not available you can check that there are no narrow light
slots between the shaft and the ruler.
2. The most common case is stationary load on the outer
ring and rotating load on the inner ring. For this case we
choose a tight fit for the shaft and a loose fit for the hous-
ing seating.
3. The bearing rings are slender and will take the form of
the seating. A bearing with an oval ring will be noisy and
there is a risk that the rolling elements are squeezed between
the rings with high loading and short life as consequence.
4. If the bearings have not been exposed to moisture they are
not damaged but the grease is too old. It is difficult to remove
the old grease from the bearings and there is a great risk of
contaminating the bearing during this procedure.
Over a ten year period, bearing development has been
considerable. The performance, in all aspects, is improved
significantly e.g. lower noise, longer service life etc. The best
solution is therefore to dismount the bearings and replace
them with new ones, which should be greased with fresh and
clean grease. In the case of deep groove ball bearings, con-
sider exchanging them to sealed or shielded ones.
5. Open, ungreased bearings, can be heated up to 125 C
as a maximum. Sealed or shielded bearings should, in prin-
ciple, not be heated because of their grease fill. However,
if an induction heater is used the bearings can be heated
during a very short period of time and not over 110 C.
6. The use of an induction heater is the best and easiest
method to heat bearings. Note that it is not possible to use
an induction heater for sensor bearings.
7. Under no circumstances should bearings be heated with
an open flame.
8. They are greased for life and will in most cases outlast
the motor. The grease in them is clean from the beginning
and is, due to the seals, kept clean which ensures the long-
est possible life for the bearings. An opinion of the grease
life can be obtanied from the relubrication diagram in the
Manual for bearing health.
15
8. Mounting bearings
SKF 2001
The contents of this publication
are the copyright of the publisher
and may not be reproduced
(even extracts) unless permission
is granted. Every care has been
taken to ensure the accuracy of
the information contained in this
publication but no liability can be
accepted for any loss or damage
whether direct, indirect or con-
sequential arising out of the use
of the information contained
herein.
Publication 5074 E
www.skf.com
R