BEARING FAILURES

Most common failure reasons in Pumps

Poor lubrication 20%

Contamination/ Ingress of media 20%
Poor fitting/handling 20%
Operating Conditions 40%

The percentage values are based on discussions with

maintenance people around the world and no statistics.

Electrical erosion (passage of electrical current) is common.

October 30, 2007

SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 3
 Typical bearing failure

Vibration level

Prewarning time Bearing

failure

Detection by SKF Detection by

condition lubrication
monitoring analysis Detection by
listen and feel
Damage
starts Detection by traditional low
frequency vibration monitoring
Time

October 30, 2007

SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 4
 Failure mode classification ISO

1.1 Subsurface fatigue

1. Fatigue
1.2 Surface initiated fatigue
2.1 Abrasive wear
2. Wear
2.2 Adhesive wear
3.1 Moisture corrosion
3. Corrosion 3.2.1 Fretting
3.2 Frictional corrosion
corrosion
3.2.2 False brinelling
4.1 Excessive voltage
4. Electrical Erosion
4.2 Current leakage
5.1 Overload
5. Plastic 5.2.1 Indents from
Deformation 5.2 Indentation debris
5.2.2 Indentation by
6.1 Forced fracture
handling
6. Fracture 6.2 Fatigue fracture
6.3 Thermal cracking

October 30, 2007

SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 5
 Root cause failure analysis

Failure
Operating conditions
Failure analysis - Load
- Wear pattern - Speed
- Type of failure - Lubrication

Development of the failure

Primary damage reason

Actions

Documentation

October 30, 2007

SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 6
 Load path pattern

Stationary combined
Stationary radial load Inner radial and axial load
ring rotation Rotating inner ring

Typically pattern of a Typically pattern of a

bearing at the non-locating bearing at the locating
position of a pump position of a pump
application. application.

October 30, 2007

SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 7
 Obvious faults

October 30, 2007

SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 8
 Poor fitting or bearing final variants selection

Too much excessive internal clearance

Variation in contact angle causes skidding and/or cage
failure
Insufficient axial
Sufficient axial load load at high
speed

The cage of a dismounted bearing The ball of a dismounted bearing Similar contact Variation in contact
after 4500 h in operation, after 48 h in operation, smearing angles inner and
marks angles inner and
outer ring outer ring

The cage of a dismounted bearing The ball of a dismounted bearing

after 48h in operation, Signs of worn after 48 h in operation, in
out cage pocket magnification, smearing marks
October 30, 2007
SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 9
Poor lubrication causing polishing wear

Appearance:
Flat mirror-like surface due to polishing
and plastic deformation of the surface
asperities

Influence on service life:

Normally not so dangerous in paper machine
applications.(Bearing service
life can be 20 years or more)

Actions:
When using a lubricant giving adequate
lubrication there is no polishing wear.
However, normally no need of any actions.

October 30, 2007

SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 10
 Wear because of lubricant starvation

Appearance:
Yellow/brown bands because of
high surface temperature

Influence on service life:

Great influence

Actions:
Check that the lubricant
reaches the bearing
More frequent lubrication

October 30, 2007

SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 11
 Poor lubrication giving surface distress

Influence on service life:

Great negative influence on the
service life

Actions:
Increase the oil film
thickness if possible
Check the water content
(should be max. 200
ppm)

October 30, 2007

SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 12
 Insufficient lubrication factors

Lubrication Factors
Incorrect selection grease or oil for the
application (at install, esp. at
relubrication)
Wrong viscosity, too low or high
Wrong Consistency, too low or high
Grease bleed rate too low
Insufficient grease or oil quality
Lack of Lubricant / Excess of Lubricant
Grease deterioration
Oil level too low or high
Impurities
Mechanical seal wear, Nilos rings
Oil line contamination
Water

October 30, 2007

SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 13
 Pass of electrical current

Pulse width modulated (PWM)

frequency converters

Hard and discolored grease

High frequency shaft grounding currents. Grounding path

through driven machinery.

Grey and bright surfaces

Motor with circulating HF Capacitive discharge

current currents
Washboard in raceways

October 30, 2007

SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 14
 Failure caused by poor fitting

Mounting pressure applied to

the wrong ring

At rolling element distance there

are indentations giving spalling.

October 30, 2007

SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 15
Failure caused by poor fitting

Indent caused by a roller

during assembly

2004-10-27 SKF Slide 16 CRB Presentation

SKF Development Centre Schweinfurt
October 30, 2007
SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 16
Failure caused by poor fitting

2004-10-27 SKF Slide 17 CRB Presentation

SKF Development Centre Schweinfurt
October 30, 2007
SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 17
 Corrosion

Stand still corrosion.

Etching marks on ball space distance of on Etching marks on ball space distance of on
angular contact ball bearing outer ring angular contact ball bearing inner ring

October 30, 2007

SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 18
Corrosion / Deep seated rust

Water concentration in a
stationary bearing roller

The water is heavier than water water

outer ring
the oil and will sink until it
comes to a suitable gap
between roller and raceway

Free water will accumulate

at the bottom of the bearing

Deep seated rust on the outer ring

raceway caused by water during stand
still.

October 30, 2007

SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 19
 Plastic Deformation Debris Indentation

Load concentration on the

raised rims

Debris indention of an inner ring Spalling starts as a crack

beneath the surface

October 30, 2007

SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 20
 Indentations caused by foreign particles

Hard ones:
Metal pieces
Soft ones:
Paper, cotton waste

Indentations in the raceway of a

Cylindrical
roller bearing (50 times magnification)
October 30, 2007
SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 21
 Failure caused by poor fitting, misalignment

Misaligned outer ring rotating inner

ring and stationary outer ring

Otter ring of a deep grove ball bearing Inner ring of a cylindrical roller bearing
that have been misaligned in relation
that have been misaligned.
to the shaft

October 30, 2007

SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 22
Failure caused by vibrations

Inner ring of Spherical roller bearing

Inner ring of Spherical roller bearing

October 30, 2007

SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 23
Failure caused by fretting corrosion

Fretting corrosion on the OD of a Spherical Fretting corrosion on the ID of a Cylindrical

roller bearing outer ring roller bearing inner ring

October 30, 2007

SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 24
 October 30, 2007
SKF Group
SKF Group Slide 25