Sealed angular contact ball bearings have a service life, but they often fail prematurely due to improper operations during use. So, what are the reasons for the failure of sealed angular contact ball bearings? Below, the manufacturers of angular contact ball bearings will introduce the reasons and improvement methods that cause premature bearing failure.
Causes of failure of sealed angular contact ball bearings
1. Raw materials
The metal used in the manufacturing of sealed angular contact ball bearings was once a major factor affecting bearing failure. However, with the continuous progress of metallurgical technology, the extraction of raw materials has been greatly improved, and the quality of materials has also been greatly improved. Now, the impact of raw materials on bearing failure has significantly decreased.
2. Installation conditions
Sealed angular contact ball bearings often experience changes in the stress state between the various parts of the entire bearing due to improper installation. Therefore, abnormal operation of angular contact ball bearings can lead to premature failure.
3. Improper lubrication
Any bearing that is not properly lubricated inevitably fails prematurely before its normal service life. As bearings are usually difficult to load and unload components in mechanical equipment, improper lubrication can easily lead to problems.
4. Bearing contamination
Sealed angular contact ball bearings are precision components. If the bearings and lubricating grease are contaminated, they cannot operate effectively. Therefore, at least 14% of the premature failure of the bearings is caused by pollution issues.
5. Bearing fatigue
If the machine experiences overload, improper use or maintenance, the bearings will be affected, and 34% of the bearings that fail prematurely are caused by fatigue.
Improvement Method for Failure of Angular Contact Ball Bearings with Seals
1. Pay attention to material selection
The raw material for producing sealed angular contact ball bearings is bearing steel, and the main quality problems of bearing steel are surface defects, non-metallic inclusions, etc. Pay special attention to the combination with design and machining to remove excess material defects; At the same time, control the size of inclusions. A few larger inclusions are stress concentration points that are prone to microcracks. If distributed on the surface, it can cause scrap or early damage to the ferrule; Another issue is that the non-uniformity of carbides can affect the heat treatment quality of the ferrule, resulting in uneven mechanical properties, and also affecting subsequent grinding processes (such as deformation during heat treatment and grinding, which can easily cause grinding burns). By strengthening material inspection, the probability of quality problems occurring in bearing rings can be reduced from the source.
2. Correct installation
According to the technical requirements for the installation, use, maintenance, and upkeep of sealed angular contact ball bearings, the load, speed, working temperature, vibration, noise, and lubrication conditions of the bearings in operation should be monitored and inspected. If any abnormalities are found, the cause should be immediately identified and adjusted to restore them to normal.
3. Detection analysis
Sealed angular contact ball bearings may issue an "advance warning" in case of improper maintenance or excessive stress, so online status monitoring equipment can be used for detection and analysis. Therefore, sudden or unplanned failures can be avoided.
4. Adjusting lubrication
The occurrence of abnormal wear marks on bearings leads to the entry of a large amount of pollutants into the bearings. Relevant technical operators can reduce the occurrence of abnormal friction by ensuring sufficient lubricants, thereby fundamentally preventing the entry of pollutants. Similarly, if abnormal wear marks are caused by the viscosity of the lubricating oil not being compatible with the equipment speed, relevant technical operators can also change the viscosity of the lubricating oil and use a type of lubricating oil that is compatible with the equipment speed.