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SMART SOLUTIONS FOR MAINTENANCE & RELIABILITY

BEARINGS MAINTENANCE:
FROM BASICS
TO PdM

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 MOTORS
BEARING MAINTENANCE
Store, lubricate, mount, and dismount properly for better performance
Rolling bearings as precision components play vital
roles in rotating machinery by helping to reduce friction,
transmit loads, and locate and support shafts. Here are
some back-to-basics maintenance tips to promote enhanced
bearing performance and extended service life. All of these
tips can help advance a bearing’s performance, reliability,
economy, and service life and, in the process, reduce main-
tenance time, labor, and costs.
Properly store all bearings. Bearings should always be
stored in a cool, clean, low-humidity environment free of
dust, shocks, and vibrations.
• Bearings should be flat rather than on end and be kept in
their original, unopened packages until just before mount-
ing. If kept in a standing position, the likelihood of false
brinelling (marking of the raceways and rolling elements
caused by residual vibration) increases significantly.
• I n the cases of sealed or shielded types of bearings, opera-
tors should be cautious when storing them over long periods
of time. The lubricating properties of the grease used to fill
these types of bearings may deteriorate, causing potential
lubricant-related problems when a system is up and running.
Most bearing manufacturers have specific shelf-life limits,
based upon the greases used in their bearings.
• Cleanliness is critical. All bearings should be kept clean
because contamination and corrosion will shorten the life
of any bearing.
Follow proper mounting procedures. When a bearing is
mounted improperly — without using the appropriate tech-
niques and tools — performance will almost certainly suffer and
service life will be jeopardized.
•W hen a bearing is ready to be mounted, maintenance staff
should confirm that shaft and housing are clean, undamaged,
and dimensionally accurate, with proper fit and tolerance;
lubricant is clean and correctly specified; necessary tools and
equipment are on hand; and safety precautions are in place.
• W henever mounting a bearing, its rings, cages, and rolling
elements or seals should never receive direct blows and the
mounting force must never be directed through the rolling
elements (Figure 1).
• S elect the proper mounting method for the job. The primary
methods for proper mounting of a bearing are commonly
referenced as “cold” or “hot,” consistent with their enabling
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technologies. Cold mounting, or mechanical mounting,
generally is recommended for small- and medium-sized
bearings, with outside diameters up to 4 in. Methods involv-
ing heat mounting will be appropriate for relatively larger
bearings. Hydraulic techniques should be considered when
mounting especially large bearings. Tools have been devel-
oped to accommodate each particular method (Figure 2).
BEARINGS SHOULD ALWAYS BE STORED
IN A COOL, CLEAN, LOW-HUMIDITY
ENVIRONMENT FREE OF DUST, SHOCKS,
AND VIBRATIONS.
Select the suitable lubricant. Grease has traditionally served
as the preferred lubricant for rolling bearings. The practical
benefits become apparent: Grease is easy to apply, can be
retained within a bearing’s housing, and offers protective
sealing capabilities.
• Choose the correct type of grease to deliver the necessary
base oil viscosity in the proper amount at the prevailing
operating temperature. Half of all bearing failures at-
tributed to poor lubrication are caused by selection of an
inadequate grease type for the operating conditions or to
mixing incompatible greases with different properties.
• By varying the oil viscosities, soap, and additives, distinct
characteristics can be achieved to suit particular
applications and operating conditions.
Deliver lubricant properly. The ultimate goal
is to deliver the right lubricant in the right
amount at the right time.
• Employ automatic lubricators as more
FORCE TRANSMISSION
Figure 1. A fitting tool can be
used for mounting of bearings
to minimize risk of damage.
This consists of sleeve, impact
ring, and dead-blow hammer
enabling effective transmission of
mounting force.
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 MOTORS
practical and effective alternatives to manual application.
Manual lubrication with a grease gun typically can present
major challenges for maintenance technicians if the appro-
priate tools, practices, and knowledge are absent, and reli-
ability can further be affected by under- or over-greasing.
In contrast, automatic lubrication is engineered to provide
quantities of clean lubricant on a regular basis, while in-
creasing safety and saving time for maintenance staff.
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
Figure 2. Use an induction heater for pre-heating bearings
before mounting to allow for expansion and easier installation.
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• Keep an eye on how the lubricant is performing over time.
The lubricant in a bearing arrangement gradually will lose
its lubricating properties due to mechanical work, aging,
or the buildup of contamination.
• Replenish or renew grease at regular intervals to help
maximize bearing service life.
Properly dismount a bearing. One reason for dismounting
an “old” bearing is to replace it with a new one. Another
reason is for maintenance or replacement of other machine
components.
• Proper methods and tools should be used, as is the case
with the mounting procedure, especially if the bearing will
be placed back into service. The choice of tools will depend
on bearing type, size, and fit.
• Care must be taken not to damage the shaft, which can result
in compromising a machine’s efficiency. A damaged shaft can
greatly influence the service life of the new bearing.
Daniel Juchniewicz is an applications engineer at
SKF USA. Contact him at (267) 436-6647 or
daniel.juchniewicz@skf.com.
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 MOTORS
by Adrian Messer, CMRP, UE Systems
Over the past decade or so, it has
been interesting to see the evolution
of maintenance and reliability. To
some, the word maintenance brings
a perception of general housekeep-
ing duties such as janitorial tasks or
changing light bulbs, but for most,
maintenance has become almost
synonymous with reliability.
I feel like the reliability field is in a
transitional phase as more people are
becoming more proactive regarding
maintenance rather than being reactive
once a failure has happened. Addition-
ally, the condition monitoring tools
that are available today are very ad-
vanced, and in some cases can give the
user almost instantaneous information
in order to make a diagnosis on an as-
set. Mobile devices such as tablets and
smartphones have been integrated. For
some applications, continuous/remote
monitoring is almost a must.
Airborne and structure-borne
ultrasound has certainly become a
major player in condition monitoring.
Once considered just a leak detec-
tor, more maintenance and reliability
professionals are realizing the benefits
associated with using ultrasound for
condition monitoring applications,
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Implementing
ultrasound
for condition
monitoring
applications can
be easier than
you think
Infrared
Failure Begins Ultrasound Oil Analysis
l P
Vibration
Audible Noise
P P1 P2 Hot to the Touch
P3
P4
P5
Proactive Proactive Fault
P6
Domain Domain Domain
Max time for planning F
Figure 1. The I-P-F curve shows ultrasound as being the first technology that detects a
failure that is mechanical in nature, such as early stage bearing wear, or subsurface bearing
fatigue. Precision lubricating bearings with ultrasound helps to extend the I-P interval.
and the I-P-F curve with which we and underlubrication of bearings, thus
have all become familiar with reflects helping to extend the I-P interval.
that trend (Figure 1). We must be con- For example, studies have shown
cerned not only with the P-F interval, that at least 60% of premature bearing
once a failure has been detected, but failures can be attributed to lubrica-
also with the I-P interval. The I-P in- tion problems, whether the result of
terval is where precision maintenance overlubrication, underlubrication, the
is used to ensure that the equipment is presence of contaminants in the lubri-
being installed properly using preci- cant, or the use of the wrong grease for
sion balancing and alignment and the wrong application. Ultrasound in-
installing the bearings properly. Preci- struments can be used to prevent over-
sion maintenance is achieved when and underlubrication of bearings.
ultrasound is used to prevent over- The source of the ultrasonic noise is
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friction. When a bearing is in need of
grease, there is an increase in friction,
and consequently an increase in noise
or decibel level. When listening to a
bearing that is in need of lubrication
Figure 2. This image shows where
readings were taken at six identical
motors using the comparison method.
The decibel level on the six motor
outboard points were all within 3dB of
each other except for Motor B. The Motor
B outboard point was 12dB higher than
the other five motors, thus indicating a
need for further inspection or action.
and watching the decibel level on the
display of an ultrasonic instrument,
as grease is applied, the inspector will
notice a gradual drop in the decibel
level, moving eventually back down to
a more normal level. When grease en-
ters the bearing housing, there is less
friction and less noise, which explains
the drop in the decibel level. If the
bearing is already overlubricated or is
already sufficiently lubricated, as soon
as grease is applied, the inspector will
notice a gradual increase in the decibel
level, letting him or her know that the
bearing already had enough grease.
There are two common ques-
tions that many first-time users of
ultrasound technology for condition
monitoring have. The first is, “How
do I set baselines?” The second is,
“How do I know if what I’m hearing
is good or bad?” They are valid ques-
tions, given that there is no previous
ultrasound data on the equipment to
be tested, and the users are simply
unfamiliar with using ultrasound for
this application.
This article will explore three
different techniques for condition
monitoring with ultrasound tools.
For setting baselines, the comparison
method and the historical method
will be discussed. The third technique
is ultrasound imaging, or the use of
recorded ultrasounds to make a better
diagnosis as to what’s good and what’s
bad. When a recorded ultrasound
is played back in spectral analysis
software, we can view both the FFT
and the time wave form of that sound;
this approach helps to paint a picture
of what it is that we are hearing. Some
ultrasound instruments offer the
capability to view the FFT and time
wave form view in real time while data
is collected – a concept sometimes
referred to as ultrasound imaging.
THE COMPARISON METHOD
One way to get a quick idea as to
what is good and what is bad is by
using the comparison approach.
With this method, the inspector
simply compares the decibel level
readings at identical points on iden-
tical machines (Figure 2). Using this
method, the inspector also begins to
train his or her ear as to what rotat-
ing equipment sounds like, and it
will become obvious that a bearing
with a particular fault such as an
inner race, or outer race defect, will
sound much different than a bearing
that is in good condition.

Figure 3a. Screen shot from a typical ultrasound route
where data has been collected on three pumps. The Drive
A point has been expanded to show six historical readings.
The reading on March 20 is in bold which represents the
baseline. Two alarm levels have been reached: a low alarm
on May 20 and a higher alarm warning on July 20.
Figure 3b. Historical data plot of six readings from the Drive A point. The
readings are plotted against a low alarm and high alarm. The plot at the top
of the chart is a plot of the temperature readings to show the changes in
temperature over the six-month period.

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 MOTORS
The baseline then can be set based off an average of
decibel levels at the compared points. The software may even
default to the first reading taken and downloaded; however,
the baseline can then be changed in the software as more
readings are collected.
THE HISTORICAL METHOD
The historical method is the preferred method for estab-
lishing baselines and alarm levels in a bearing condition
monitoring program. Using this method, the inspector
first establishes a route or database in the ultrasound
software, which is subsequently loaded into the ultrasonic
instrument. Data is then collected at the various points
along the route.
When the initial round of baseline data is collected, it may
be necessary to collect data more frequently than needed in
order to build the history, and get an idea if the decibel read-
ings are remaining similar in the initial historical readings.
Once the baseline has been set, as long as the readings are
remaining consistent, the frequency at which the readings are
collected can be adjusted. For example, when collecting the
initial data for setting the baselines, the readings may need
to be taken once per week for 4–5 weeks. Once the baseline is
set, the readings can be taken only once per month or every
other month depending on asset criticality and equipment
dB
Frequency (Hz)
dB
Frequency (Hz)
Figure 4. FFT images of two motor-and-pump units (Pump 3 MTR OB,
good, top; Pump 4 MTR OB, bad, bottom) from spectrum analysis software
that were captured after the recorded ultrasound had been played back.
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HEAR IT: FAILING BEARING
Slow-speed bearing (1rpm): http://plnt.sv/bearingfail
runtime. With the initial data history established, inspectors
can select the reading that they wish to set as the baseline.
Once a baseline has been established through either the
comparison method or the historical method, alarm levels
can be set (figures 3a and 3b). A low alarm is set to show a
lack of lubrication, and a high alarm is set to show a more
critical failure stage for the bearing such as an inner race,
outer race, cage, or ball pass fault. Through years of stud-
ies and analysis of actual ultrasound data from ultrasound
users, it has been determined that an 8dB increase above
baseline represents a lack of lubrication, and a16dB increase
above baseline represents a more severe failure for the
bearing. At the high alarm level, the bearing is in a failure
mode that is beyond a lack of lubrication. These alarm levels
may need to be adjusted when testing slow-speed bearings.
Alarm levels for slower-speed bearings (generally below
100rpm) may need to be half of what the normal alarm
levels are set, but it really depends on what the decibel level
trend of the initial historical readings indicate.
ULTRASOUND IMAGING
Through advancements in airborne and structure-borne ultra-
sound instruments and software, the user can obtain an “im-
age” of the sound that is being heard to analyze, diagnose, and
confirm mechanical fault conditions in rotating equipment.
The concept of ultrasound imaging is to record ultrasounds
heard via the ultrasound instrument, and then play back those
recorded sounds in a spectrum analysis software. This will
provide the inspector with the audible sound heard in the field
during the inspection and a visual “image” or spectrum of the
recorded ultrasound in both the FFT and Time Wave Form
view. This method will help to reduce the subjectivity of only
relying in changes in the decibel level and changes in the sound
tone or quality heard by the inspector.
The example at right is from a motor-and-pump combi-
nation where a total of eight of these were running the
same and performing the same function. The 60hp motor
was powering a water pump. The images at right were
taken while the data was collected. The comparison is
between two of the eight motor and pumps.
While collecting data, both decibel readings and sound
files were recorded. Screen shots from spectral analysis
software are presented in Figure 4 and show a compari-
son between the points “Pump 3 MTR OB 007” and the
“Pump 4 MTR OB 010.” The images are FFT images from
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 MOTORS
the spectrum analysis software that were captured after
the recorded ultrasound had been played back. Spectrum
analysis software is usually available for instruments that
have on-board sound recording. The instruments used to
collect this data also had on-board spectrum analysis that
shows the FFT and time wave form views on the display
in real time while the data is collected.
Notice the difference between the two data points in Figure
4. Both motors are operating under the same conditions, but
the Pump 4 MTR OB point has a much different spectrum.
If you were listening through the headset of the ultrasound
instrument, it would also have a much different sound.
The spectrum analysis software used has a built-in bear-
ing fault frequency calculator. By entering in the speed
(rpm) and the number of balls (bearings), an outer race, in-
ner race, ball pass, and cage frequency can be calculated. For
this particular motor, the speed was 1750rpm, and the type
and number of bearings was confirmed to be 10. The fault
frequency calculated by the spectrum analysis software con-
firmed an inner race fault at 175Hz, which is the same fault
harmonic detected on the ultrasound instrument. Another
interesting point was the fact that the vibration analysis data
was collected two days later and did confirm an inner race
fault on the Pump 4 motor outboard point.
Ultrasound technology has also proved to be very effective at
monitoring slow-speed bearings. If you have the right data col-
lector, software, training, and time it can be accomplished with
vibration analysis; however, it’s easily done with ultrasound.
Even at speeds of 1rpm, ultrasound can be used to listen to
slow-speed bearings. In extreme slow-speed applications, if the
bearing is a good condition, there will be little to no ultrasonic
noise simply because there is no fault condition that would
produce the ultrasonic noise. As a fault begins, though, it will
be heard via the headset when inspecting the equipment, and
it shows up very nicely on the time wave form view when the
sound has been recorded.
Major Abnormal Condition
Abnormal Condition
Amplitude
Normal Range of Ampliture
Abnormal Condition
Time
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HEAR IT: MOTOR AND PUMP UNITS
Pump 3 MTR OB: http://plnt.sv/pump3mtr
Pump 4 MTR OB: http://plnt.sv/pump4mtr
Implementing ultrasound for condition monitoring
applications is easier than you think. With a short learn-
ing curve, ease of collecting data, and remote monitoring
solutions, ultrasound can become another valuable tool to
use for your condition monitoring efforts.
When setting up your ultrasound database, consider
starting out with routes that are manageable and will create
value to your overall reliability program. Take into account
factors such as an asset criticality ranking, inspecting assets
with failure modes that ultrasound will detect, or using
ultrasound on equipment that has high failure rates to get a
better idea as to what might be causing the failures.
When collecting baseline data, consider incorporat-
ing “ultrasound imaging,” or recording the sound of what
you’re hearing. This approach provides additional informa-
tion for historical purposes such as comparing baseline
sounds (FFT or Time Wave Form) to when the same point
reaches an alarm level. Once the baseline and alarm levels
have been set, the only other time a sound file should be
recorded is when the point reaches an alarm level. As long
as the decibel readings are below the alarm levels, only the
decibel level is stored. Also, when gathering initial data,
take before-lubrication and after-lubrication readings. If
the decibel level drops after lubrication, then that is the
reading that should be used for the baseline because that
point was in need of lubrication to begin with.
If these critical steps are followed when establishing ultra-
sound as a condition monitoring tool, then more problems
will be found; premature bearing failures can be greatly re-
duced; and condition monitoring data collection will become
more effective. Lubrication preventive maintenance tasks also
can become more effective because ultrasound trends will
show which bearings need to be lubricated. Therefore, instead
of greasing everything on a time-based lube route, only the
points that are currently in the lubrication alarm from ultra-
sound trends are greased until the decibel level drops back
down to the baseline dB. If you’re using ultrasound only as a
leak detector, I would encourage you to take a more in-depth
look into condition monitoring with ultrasound.
Adrian Messer, CMRP, is manager for U.S. operations at
UE Systems. Contact him at adrianm@uesystems.com.
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