Bearing failure can grind your operations to a halt, resulting in significant lost time and production. Here are the first three of six common factors that can cause bearings to fail, and what you can do to prevent them.
Read MoreIf you enjoy ambiguity and uncertainty, there are few better places to start than fitting a small ball bearing with tight clearance. Just to keep things simple, I’ll use Koyo’s (JTEKT) main Ball & Roller Bearings catalog for the technical information. All full-size bearing catalogs will have the same information.
The place to start when determining fit is with clearance. When dealing with ball bearings, the term “clearance” always means radial internal clearance, whereas when we preload tapered bearings, we are usually talking about axialpreload/endplay (Fig. 1). For your reference, axial clearance is around 10x the distance of radial clearance.
Read MoreIn service, sufficient lubrication is essential. Maintenance goals: Deliver the right lubricant in the right amount at the right time.
Among lubricant delivery methods, manual lubrication (with grease gun) typically can present major challenges for maintenance technicians if the appropriate tools, practices, and knowledge are absent – and reliability can further be affected by under- or over-greasing. As a practical alternative, automatic lubrication can be employed to provide quantities of clean lubricant on a regular basis, while increasing safety and saving time for staff. Ready-to-use or tailored systems can be engaged, depending on application, lubricating points, and similar considerations.
Read MoreBecause they are precision components, bearings should be handled and mounted with care using correct techniques and technologies. An estimated 16% of all premature bearing failures are caused by poor fitting, usually using brute force, and being unaware of the availability of the suitable mounting tools and methods.
Read More
Bearings should always be properly stored, mounted, adequately lubricated when and where required, monitored, dismounted, and ultimately inspected to uncover root causes of any damage.
While particular applications will present unique factors influencing a bearing’s service life, the following maintenance-oriented guideline can substantially improve the life of bearing.
Read More