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Troubleshooting motor bearing wear

Rotating equipment such as electrical motors, rotary pumps and compressors as well as fans and blowers, are generally designed for smooth operation—with very low vibration as the ideal state.

In this equipment, a severely worn bearing has increased drag, emits more heat, and has lower efficiency because of a mechanical, lubrication, or a wear problem.

Common causes of bearing failure

  • Shaft misalignment
  • Shaft or component imbalance
  • Improper operating conditions or unusual environment
  • A heavier load than designed for
  • Inadequate or incorrect lubrication
  • Ineffective bearing sealing
  • Incorrect installation or fit
  • Normal wear and tear
  • Induced shaft voltages

Before bearings fail, however, the problem is likely to show itself by a telltale vibration. For example, when a roller bearing race becomes pitted, the bearing rollers will cause a vibration each time they pass over the damaged area.

Once bearing failure begins, it also creates a cascade effect that accelerates motor failure. Thirteen percent of motor failures are caused by bearing failure, and more than 60% of the mechanical failures in a facility are caused by bearing wear, but most bearings wear due to shaft misalignment or imbalance than from normal wear. So, learning how to diagnose the root cause and fix it is an important component of any predictive maintenance program because then bearings last for many years.

A test and measurement instrument such as the Fluke 810 Vibration Tester is designed specifically for maintenance professionals to diagnose mechanical problems early, including identifying wear to journal or roller bearings.

©2019 Fluke Corporation. Specifications subject to change without notice. 6004766

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©1995 - 2019 Fluke Corporation
    • Products
      • Accessories
        • See all
      • Building infrastructure
        • HVAC tools
        • Indoor air quality testing
        • Industrial Ethernet tools
        • Laser distance meters
        • Laser levels
        • Network cable testers
      • Calibration tools
        • Fluke Calibration
        • mA loop calibrators
        • Multifunction calibrators
        • Pressure calibrators
        • Temperature calibrators
      • Condition monitoring
        • Power monitoring
        • Vibration monitoring
      • Electrical tools
        • Basic electrical testers
        • Battery analyzers
        • Clamp meters
        • Digital multimeters
        • Earth ground
        • Installation testers
        • Insulation testers
        • Insulated tools
        • Portable oscilloscopes
        • Power quality
      • Fluke software
        • eMaint CMMS
        • Fluke Connect
        • Fluke Calibration software
        • Fluke Networks software
        • Fluke SmartView
      • Industrial imaging
        • See all
      • Intrinsically safe
        • See all
      • Mechanical maintenance
        • Laser alignment
        • Vibration analysis
      • Temperature measurement
        • Contact thermometers
        • IR thermometers
      • Thermal imaging
        • IR windows
        • Thermal cameras
        • Visual IR thermometers
      • Awards
      • New Fluke products
      • Test tools product guide
    • Learn
      • Best practices
        • Custody transfer
        • Electrical inspection
        • Equipment and production line testing
        • Fluid systems
        • Measurement basics
        • Motors and drives
        • Pressure calibration
        • Preventive maintenance
        • Safety
        • Temperature calibration
        • Test tools basics
      • Blog
      • Fluke education partnership program
      • Leak detector
      • Library
      • Online courses
      • Tools and calculators
        • Air leakage calculator
        • FOV calculator
      • Webinars
    • Support
      • About us
        • Careers
        • Companies
        • Contact us
        • Corporate profile
        • Directions
        • Integrity
      • Calibration Services
      • Manuals
      • Press releases
      • Product registration
      • Repair
      • Return materials authorization
      • Safety notices
      • Service center locations
      • Software downloads
      • Warranties
    • Where to buy
      • Promotions and contests
    • Other Fluke companies
      • Fluke Calibration
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      • See more Fluke brands
        • Accelix
        • Amprobe
        • Beha-Amprobe
        • Comark
        • Emaint CMMS
        • Landauer
        • Pacific Laser Systems
        • Pomona
        • Pruftechnik
        • RaySafe
        • Schad