Bearing Failure Analysis is Critical – Even in The ‘Smart’ Bearing Era

The transition to ‘smarter’ technologies is gathering pace across all sectors of industry and wherever motion control applications require smooth and efficient movement ‘smart’ bearings have emerged as a revolutionary innovation.  So what are smart bearings?

Thanks to embedded sensors, these bearings enable real-time monitoring of critical parameters, such as; temperature, vibration and load, offering unprecedented insights into operational performance. However, as advanced and beneficial smart bearings are, they are not immune to challenges making bearing failure analysis even more crucial than ever.

Failure of bearings, whether traditional or smart, can lead to expensive downtime, equipment damage, compromised safety and in extreme cases, could result in catastrophic system failure. Identifying the root causes of these failures is essential to prevent recurrence and optimise system reliability. Around 70% of all bearing failures are due to poor fitting, improper lubrication, contamination, misalignment, or overloading.