Common Causes of Bearing Failure

Our lab technicians have investigated countless situations of bearing malfunction and damage.  You don’t become the leading name in quality bearing supply without learning a few things along the way.  It’s not always easy to diagnose the exact cause of a bearing failure, but after careful inspection, most of the time the cause is related to one or more of the following causes.

Foreign Matter - Given the sliding and rolling nature of the bearing’s structure, its biggest enemy is foreign particles of dirt, dust, grit, lint, and grime of all kinds which can cause wear and pitting inside the raceways.

Poor Mounting - If the bearing is not properly mounted it will rotate incorrectly and eventually cause disruption in the mechanics.  If the bearing is fitted to the shaft by beating it into place, it will cause dents in the outer race.  If the shaft fit or the housing fit are too loose, there can be excess heat from added friction or shut down with the collection of loose particles.  Likewise, the fit can be too tight and cause similar problems.

Misalignment - A common culprit for the cause of overheating or separator failure is a misalignment of bent or out-of-square shafts and spacers.  We tend to find the tracks veering side to side when we look to the raceways.

Electrical Damage - Any electric current that passes through bearing will charge the metal balls and spaces between them with a charge that can cause arcing and burning to the rolling elements.  This results in denting and cratering of the interior raceways.

Our technicians have seen these causes and more in bearings of all types and designs.  We take pride in a close, quality lab inspection of each and every bearing that comes through our labs for quality assessment.  We’ve identified the causes of bearing failures in a wide array of diverse industries.  Let us help you with your roller bearings today.

Bearings: Keeping the World Spinning

Think of the world that you know.

So much of our everyday lives are shaped by the rolling motion of the ball bearing and its technological variations.   That’s why we at VNC care so much about them.  The massive manufacturing empires of the world that move trillions of tons of food, energy, and goods around the planet with transportation and shipping, it’s all possible thanks to the engineering of rolling and spinning bearings.  It’s hard not to get excited about your work when you know you’re contributing to the motion of the world.

VNC has been in the bearings industry for long enough to know that the smallest pieces of the machine are often the most important.  Anything and everything that spins or moves uses the technology of precision bearings.   Whatever you’re building or designing, VNC knows how to make it spin efficiently and reliably.  Our staff all share the VNC vision; precision and quality matter as much to us as they do to you.

You keep building the motors and gears, the cars and airplanes, the computers and space shuttles, the tractors and combines, the skateboards and smartphones.   You keep making the world more exciting.  And we’ll be there with you every step of the way to keep it spinning.

Contact us for all your bearing needs.