01. Bearing overheating

Overheating is the biggest culprit of bearing failure, mainly because bearing heating is usually an alarm signal for abnormal machine operation. If not dealt with as soon as possible, it will cause chain reactions such as machine damage. Common causes of bearing heating include: (1) Bearing accuracy is low and improper selection If the bearing accuracy is not up to standard or there is a difference in selection, it will directly cause the bearing to heat up because the machine cannot meet the optimal operating conditions. Solution: Choose bearings with accuracy levels specified by official requirements. (2) Large vibration For example, the coupling alignment process is poor and does not meet the requirements, the rotor has dynamic and static imbalances, poor foundation rigidity, weak foundations, rotational stall and surge. During operation, some rotors are corroded by media or worn by solid impurities, or the shaft is bent, which will cause unbalanced centrifugal force, causing the bearings to heat up and vibrate, and the raceways to be severely worn until they are destroyed.

(3) Insufficient cooling Insufficient cooling usually manifests as: pipeline blockage, improper selection of cooler, poor cooling effect, etc. The cooler of the lubrication pipeline is scaled and blocked, which will cause the cooling effect to deteriorate, especially during summer production. Severe scaling of the cooler and frequent alarms due to high bearing temperature are encountered in many production sites. A more effective solution is to pickle and descale the cooler every year before summer. (4) Improper installation Improper installation is another important cause of bearing heating. Because the correct installation of the bearing has a direct impact on its life and the accuracy of the main engine, it is required that the center line of the shaft and the bearing hole must coincide during installation. If the bearing is installed incorrectly, the accuracy is low, and the bearing has deflection, torque will be generated during rotation, causing the bearing to heat up or wear. In addition, the bearings will also vibrate, increase noise, and increase temperature rise. picture 02. Dust and pollution

In equipment with high environmental requirements such as precision machines and motors, various suspended particles in the air will enter the bearing working environment and cause various hazards. Corrosive particles can wear down components, and conductive particles can interfere with component current flow. Once the particles accumulate and block the periphery of the bearing, they will accelerate overheating. Obviously, choosing the correct IP protection level can alleviate this problem to a certain extent. In outdoor equipment or environments with normal conditions, although the entire bearing system has corresponding protection, it should be protected as much as possible to avoid secondary damage from sand, gravel, and dust. In addition, it is easy to get wet outdoors, and moisture will corrode bearing components. When moisture and particulate pollutants in the air mix, it is fatal to the bearings and further shortens the life of the machine. picture 03. Power supply problem Harmonic currents caused by high-frequency switching and pulse-width modulation can lead to voltage and current distortion, overloading and overheating. This shortens the life of the machine and bearings and increases long-term equipment costs. Damage is always caused by partial discharge, the oil film between the inner ring groove of the bearing and the steel ball acting as a dielectric (capacitor), charged by the bearing current. Once the voltage is high enough, a short circuit discharge occurs. This periodic discharge will corrode the metal, and the rotation speed of the rotor will accelerate and affect corrosion. Higher rotation creates a thicker oil film, and the higher the voltage, the greater the damage; at low speeds the oil film “contact” area is larger, and the risk of damage is much lower. The higher the speed, the higher the power rating and the higher the DC voltage, the greater the risk of damage. Once the surface of the damaged steel ball is corroded, it will cause permanent vibration of the inner and outer rings. picture

04. Improper lubrication Lubrication is a necessary condition to ensure the normal operation of bearings. Lubrication has an important impact on the fatigue life, friction, wear, vibration, etc. of rolling bearings. About 40% of bearing damage is related to poor lubrication. The purpose of bearing lubrication is to form an oil film between the rolling surfaces of the bearing to prevent direct metal-to-metal contact. The effects of lubrication on rolling bearings are as follows: 1. Reduce friction and wear and extend bearing life; 2. Discharge friction heat to prevent bearing temperature from rising too high; 3. Prevent foreign matter from intruding and act as a seal; 4. Prevent metal from rusting.

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