Applied Failure Analysis

Service Training Meeting Guide 010

SESV8010
September 2000

TECHNICAL PRESENTATION

APPLIED FAILURE ANALYSIS

ANTI-FRICTION BEARINGS

ANTI-FRICTION BEARINGS FAILURE

ANALYSIS
MEETING GUIDE

SLIDES AND SCRIPT

AUDIENCE

Service, service support and administrative staff personnel who understand the basic principles of
failure analysis, and who are or may be involved in determining root causes of anti-friction bearing
failures.

CONTENT
This presentation describes function, structure, operation, normal wear, abnormal wear and fractures,
parts problems and some root causes of anti-friction bearing failures.

OBJECTIVES
After learning the information in this presentation, the student will be able to:
1. describe functions of anti-friction bearings;
2. describe structural difference between, and correctly identify the different types of Caterpillar antifriction bearings;
3. describe the principle types of loading that anti-friction bearings experience during operation;
4. identify road signs of high temperatures, misalignment, impact damage, and corrosion on antifriction bearings and list possible root causes;
5. identify common manufacturing or installation problems of anti-friction bearings.

REFERENCES
Anti-friction Bearings Applied Failure Analysis Reference Book
Anti-friction Bearings Applied Failure Analysis Self-Paced Instruction CD-ROM

SEBV0562
SEGV8010

PREREQUISITES
AFA STMG 013 Failure Analysis Management
AFA STMG 017 Basic Metallurgy
AFA STMG 014 Principles of Fractures
AFA STMG 015 Principles of Wear

SERV8013
SERV8017
SERV8014
SERV8015
Estimated Time: 3 1/2 Hours
Visuals: 150 electronic images
Student Handout: 1 - Lab Worksheet
Form: SESV8010
Date: 4/2000

2000 Caterpillar Inc.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................5
NOMENCLATURE................................................................................................................8
FUNCTIONS ........................................................................................................................11
LOADS .................................................................................................................................12
MANUFACTURE ................................................................................................................26
REMOVAL/INSTALLATION..............................................................................................32
OPERATION ........................................................................................................................47
Ball Bearings...................................................................................................................49
Cylindrical Roller Bearings ............................................................................................53
Tapered Roller Bearings .................................................................................................55
PROBLEMS .........................................................................................................................63
Contact Stress Fatigue.....................................................................................................66
Plastic Yielding ...............................................................................................................79
Adhesive Wear ..............................................................................................................100
Abrasive Wear...............................................................................................................102
Corrosion.......................................................................................................................107
Fretting Corrosion and Creep........................................................................................111
Electrical Pitting and Fluting ........................................................................................118
Handling and Installation Damage................................................................................122
Fractures........................................................................................................................139
Bearing Problems..........................................................................................................150
CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................154
SLIDE LIST........................................................................................................................155
STUDENT HANDOUT......................................................................................................158

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INSTRUCTOR NOTES

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INTRODUCTION
Failure Analysis of
Anti-friction Bearings

This presentation covers applied failure analysis of anti-friction bearings,

sometimes also known as rolling element bearings.

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Anti-friction bearings
presentation
- Nomenclature
- Function
- Loads
- Manufacture
- Installation
- Operation
- Failure analysis of
anti-friction bearings

This presentation will first look at the nomenclature, function and loading
of anti-friction bearings.
How the bearings are manufactured, properly installed and operated will
then be covered.
Bearing problems will also be discussed as well as the facts and "road
signs" to look for that lead to the root causes of bearing failures.

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Anti-friction bearings
include ball and roller
- Major types used in
Caterpillar products
- Ball bearings may be
radial and/or angular
contact
- Roller bearings may
be cylindrical,
tapered, spherical,
or thrust

There are two general categories of anti-friction bearings -- ball and roller.
Within these categories, the major types found in Caterpillar products are:
Ball
- radial contact
- angular contact

Roller
-

cylindrical (straight)
tapered
spherical
thrust

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NOMENCLATURE
Ball bearing
nomenclature
A. Outer ring

The basic nomenclature of a ball bearing is shown here:

A. Outer ring (race)

B. Outer ring
raceway

B. Outer ring raceway

C. Outer ring O.D.

C. Outer ring O. D. (Outside Diameter) surface

D. Cage

D. Cage

E. Balls
F. Inner ring

E. Balls

G. Inner ring
raceway

F. Inner ring (race)

H. Inner ring I.D.

G. Inner ring raceway

I. Ring faces

H. Inner ring I. D. (Inside Diameter) or bore surface

I. Ring Faces

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Cylindrical roller
bearing nomenclature
A. Outer ring

The nomenclature of a cylindrical roller bearing is shown here:

A. Outer ring (race)

B. Outer ring
raceway

B. Outer ring raceway

C. Outer ring O. D.

C. Outer ring O. D. surface

D. Cage

D. Cage

E. Rollers
F. Inner ring

E. Rollers

G. Inner ring
raceway

F. Inner ring (race)

H. Inner ring I. D.

G. Inner ring raceway

I. Ring faces

H. Inner ring I. D. or bore surface

J. Ribs

I. Ring faces
J. Ribs

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Tapered roller bearing

nomenclature

A. Cup
B. Cup raceway
C. Cup O. D.
D. Cup front face
E. Cup back face
F. Cage
G. Rollers
H. Cone
I. Cone raceway
J. Cone I. D.
K. Cone front face
L. Cone front face
rib
M. Cone back face
N. Cone back face
rib

The basic nomenclature of a tapered roller bearing is shown here:

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.

Cup (outer ring or race)

Cup raceway
Cup O. D. surface
Front face of cup
Back face of cup
Cage
Rollers
Cone (inner ring or race)
Cone raceway
Cone I. D. or bore surface
Front face of cone

L. Rib on front face of cone

M. Back face of cone
N. Rib on back face of cone

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FUNCTIONS
Anti-friction bearing
functions:
- Support shafts and
housings

Anti-friction bearings have two primary functions:

1. Support and maintain alignment of shafts and housings while
allowing rotation with minimum friction.

- Maintain alignment

2. Carry radial and/or thrust loads.

- Minimize friction
- Carry radial and
thrust loads

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Anti-friction bearing
loads
- Radial loads
- Part weight load

LOADS
Radial loads (illustrated here by the arrow pointing down) generally result
from the weight of parts supported by the bearings and loads on shafts
required to transmit power -- such as belts, chains, gear drives, etc.

- Operating loads
- Thrust loads
- Clutch
engagement
- Cornering
- Hydraulic forces
- Vertical mounting
- Helical gear
forces
- Etc

Thrust loads (illustrated by the arrow pointing left) result from

engagement forces of clutches, forces from wheels when machines turn
corners, unbalanced hydraulic forces in line with shafts, weight of parts
on vertical shafts, helical gear forces, etc.

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Ball bearings
- Single row is most
common type
- Radial load carrier
- Limited thrust
capability
- Properly seated
bearing is essential

The single row radial contact bearing (also called `deep groove', `conrad',
or `non-loading groove' type) is the most commonly used ball bearing.
This type bearing is essentially a radial load carrier with limited thrust
load capability. Therefore proper bearing seating is necessary to avoid
abnormally high thrust loads.

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Single row angular

contact bearings (left)
- Radial and thrust
loads
- Precise axial
positioning
- High thrust
shoulders
-Thrust in one
direction only
- Opposing pairs carry
thrust in both
directions
Double row angular
bearings (right) for
thrust and positioning

Single row angular contact bearings (shown on the left in this illustration)
are designed for radial and considerable thrust loads. These bearings are
also used where precise axial positioning of a shaft is required.
Angular contact bearings can be identified by high thrust shoulders on the
rings. The outer ring will have the thrust shoulder on one side and the
inner ring will have the shoulder on the opposite side.
The ring sides opposite the thrust shoulders are only high enough to make
the bearing non-separable.
Thrust can be taken in one direction only by these bearings. However,
when mounted in opposing pairs, single row angular contact bearings can
carry thrust in both directions.
Double row angular contact bearings (shown on the right) are basically
two single row bearings built as a unit. These bearings can take thrust in
both directions and provide precise axial shaft positioning.

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Split inner race

bearings
- Accurate axial
positioning
- Thrust loads in both
directions
- More balls in bearing

Another type of ball bearing, sometimes used in applications that require

accurate axial positioning, is called a split inner race bearing. These
bearings are capable of taking thrust loads in both directions.
The split inner race makes it possible to have high thrust shoulders on
both sides of the races and also be able to assemble more balls in the
bearing.

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Roller bearings carry

higher radial loads
than ball bearing

Roller bearings have higher radial load carrying capacities than ball
bearings of the same envelope size.

Cylindrical bearings
carry high radial and
low thrust loads

Cylindrical or `straight' roller bearings have the capacity to withstand

high radial loads. Although capable of handling some thrust, these
bearings are not generally used to carry heavy thrust loads.

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Needle bearings
- Have greater than
4:1 length to width
ratio

A needle bearing is a special type of cylindrical roller bearing that has

rollers with a length to width ratio of greater than 4:1. These bearings are
used for radial loads on shafts where radial dimensions must be kept
minimal.

- Used where radial

size must be minimal

The cage and roller assembly pictured is a type of needle bearing

sometimes used to support power shift transmission planet gears.

- Used in
transmission planet
gears

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Drawn cup bearings

- Outer raceway is a
thin, hardened steel
cup
- Special care during
assembly

Another type of needle bearing is called a drawn cup bearing. The unique
feature is the outer raceway, formed by drawing a relatively thin hardened
steel cup around the rollers.
Drawn cup bearings need special care during installation, which will be
reviewed later. (Photo courtesy of The Torrington Company)

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Tapered roller
bearings
- Good radial and
thrust load carrier
- Rollers and
raceways form angle
- Precise axial
positioning
- Single row carries
thrust in one
direction only

Tapered roller bearings are especially suited for carrying both radial and
thrust loads. The design of the rollers and raceways form an angle with
the shaft axis.
Tapered roller bearings are also useful for maintaining precise axial
positioning of shafts and housings.
A single row tapered roller bearing can carry thrust loads in one direction
only and is therefore usually adjusted toward another bearing on the same
shaft capable of carrying thrust loads in the opposite direction.

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Double row bearings

carry radial and thrust
in both directions

The double row tapered roller bearing can support thrust loads from either
side as well as radial loads.

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Spherical Roller
Bearings
- Self aligning
- Tolerate
misalignment
- Carry thrust loads in
both directions

Spherical roller bearings are self-aligning, and as such can withstand

some shaft or housing misalignment. In addition to radial loads, this type
bearing can carry thrust loads from either direction.

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Roller thrust bearings

only carry thrust
loads

Roller thrust bearings are designed to carry pure thrust loads, as the name
implies.

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Cage functions
- Evenly spaced
rolling elements
- Equal load
distribution
- Prevents contact
- Maintain roller
alignment
Multiple cage types

Most anti-friction bearings incorporate cages to keep the rolling elements

evenly spaced, resulting in equal load distribution amongst the rolling
elements and preventing the elements from rubbing against each other
during operation.
Additionally, cages keep cylindrical rollers in line with the shaft. If
allowed to run free, rollers could skew, stop rolling, and slide causing
adhesive wear and premature failure.
There are many different types of cages including riveted, stamped, brass,
and electron beam welded, which is the type shown here.

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Ball bearing stress

areas
- Radial contact
- Stationary ring
- Load zone
- Rotating ring

High stress areas on ball bearings are indicated by the arrows on these
illustrations.
In radial contact bearings subjected to radial only loads, stresses are
concentrated in the center of the raceways.
In most applications, one ring rotates while the other ring is stationary.
Under these conditions, the stationary ring will have constant stress only
on the portion of its circumference that is in the direction of the load
(called the "load zone").

- Angular contact
- Off center wear
pattern

The rotating ring will have stress all the way around its circumference, as
it rotates through the load zone.
Load zones and resultant wear patterns will be reviewed later.
In angular contact bearings, subjected to radial plus significant thrust
loads, stresses will be off to one side of raceways and all the way around
both rings.

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Roller bearing stress

areas
- Cylindrical roller
- Inner raceways

High stress areas on roller bearings are on inner and outer raceways and
rollers where radial rolling contact forces are applied.
Normal stresses in cylindrical roller bearings will be all the way around
the rotating raceway as it passes through the load zone and only part way
around the stationary raceway (in the load zone).

- Outer raceways
- Rollers
- Load zone

- Tapered roller
- Seating force
- Bending
- Sliding
- Compressive

Stresses in tapered roller bearings with high thrust loads or pre-load will
be all around both raceways.
Tapered roller bearings will also experience bending, sliding, and
compressive forces due to contact between the back ribs of cones and the
large ends of the rollers. This contact (called seating force) is what keeps
the rollers aligned with the shaft.

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MANUFACTURE
Anti-friction bearings
are manufactured
from quality steel and
processes

Anti-friction bearings are manufactured from top quality alloy bearing

steels. Some are vacuum melted and most are vacuum degassed for
maximum cleanliness.

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Races are cut from

tube stock or-forged

Race blanks are either cut from tube stock (smaller bearings) or forged
(larger bearings) from high quality steel and then machined to
approximate dimension.

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Cylindrical and
Tapered Roller
Bearings
- Case hardened
- Hard case RC 58
minimum
- Soft core RC 25 40 core
- Visible case depth

After machining, the races of cylindrical and tapered roller bearings are
case hardened to RC 58 minimum and then ground to final dimension.
Tempering temperatures are approximately 190 to 200 degrees C (375 400 F).
Case hardening gives raceway surfaces good resistance to wear and
fatigue while maintaining a softer (RC 25 - 40), tougher core for
increased impact load carrying capability.
This cross section is of a tapered roller bearing cone. The surface has
been etched to highlight the case hardened depth.

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Rollers are forged of

high quality steel

Rollers are forged (cold headed) from the same high quality steel as the
races. This cylindrical roller is an example of cold heading, before heat
treat and grinding.

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Rollers
- RC 60 case
hardened
- Finish ground

Rollers are also case hardened (to RC 60 minimum) and then ground to
final dimension.

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Ball and spherical

roller bearings have
similar manufacture
- Rollers and races
through hardened
- No visible case
depth

Ball and spherical roller bearings are manufactured in a similar manner,

except the raceways and rolling elements are through hardened. Hence no
case depth can be seen on the ball and raceway cross sections shown here.

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REMOVAL/INSTALLATION
Removal/installation
- Correct bearings
- Caterpillar parts
- Removal/installation

Using the correct anti-friction bearings for the application and correct
procedures for removal and installation is very important. General
guidelines are as follows:
1. Be sure to order bearings from the Caterpillar parts system to avoid
using standard bearings where "special" bearings are required.

- "Clean" assembly
- Proper tools and
procedures
- Parts alignment
- Correct parts fit
- Accurate bearing
adjustment

2. Bearings, shafts and housing bores must be clean and free of dirt or
other debris.
3. Proper tooling and procedures should be used to avoid excessive
forces between races and rolling elements, and to avoid damaging
races, housings and shafts.
4. Alignment of shafts and housings needs to be accurate.
5. The fit of bearings on shafts or in housing bores must be correct.
6. Bearing adjustments (if called for) must be accurate.

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"Special" and
"standard" bearings
- "Special" bearings
may have unique
- Rolling element
shape
- Cage design
- Internal
clearances
- "Special" bearing
appearance and
numbers
- Design changes

Caterpillar specifies "special" as well as "standard" bearings

manufactured by suppliers.
"Special" bearings are used where loads, shaft deflection, etc. call for
unique rolling element shape, cage design, internal clearances, etc.
"Special" bearings may look like "standard" bearings and may be marked
by the manufacturer with similar bearing numbers, but will have different
load carrying capabilities.
Also, continual design changes improve and increase service life. No
other bearing supplier is up to date on all these changes.
Therefore, it is important to order bearings from the Caterpillar parts
system to be sure of designed service life and to avoid premature failures.

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Various publications
available on
Caterpillar bearings

An excellent video tape called "Caterpillar Anti-Friction Bearings" (Form

No. TEVN1412) explains the importance of using Caterpillar supplied
bearings in Caterpillar products.
Also a booklet, "Straight Talk about Caterpillar Anti-friction Bearings"
(Form No. PEDP6124), discusses the differences between "standard" and
"special" bearings.
In addition, a handout piece (Form No. PEDP8110) is available which
discusses these differences.

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Anti-friction bearing
Installation
- Dirt and debris can:
- Cause wear

During installation, care must be taken to assure no dirt or other debris is

present to cause premature wear or damage to rolling elements or
raceways.
Equally important is avoiding debris or dirt from getting between bearing
race faces and shaft or housing shoulders as is illustrated here.

- Prevent seating
- Create lose
adjustment
- Cock or deform
races

The debris could prevent bearings from seating properly (illustration on

the left) and cause them to lose adjustment or positioning during
operation.
If the debris is concentrated in one area of the circumference (illustration
on the right), it could cause a bearing race to be deformed or cocked
resulting in out of roundness or misalignment.

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Proper tooling and

procedures
- Use a press where
possible
- Only press on the
race being mounted
Some methods should
be avoided

Proper tooling and procedures are very important when removing and
installing bearings.
In general, races should be pressed onto shafts or into housings straight
and through only the race being mounted.
The use of chisels, punches, flame cutting, and weld bead shrinking
should be avoided where possible.

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Incorrect procedures
- Do not press or drive
through rolling
elements
- Chipping or denting
may occur

Bearings should not be pressed or driven through their rolling elements,

i.e. removing or installing a race on a shaft or in housing by driving or
pressing on the other race. This practice can cause chipping of ribs and/or
denting (brinelling) of raceways and rolling elements that may lead to
failure. These problems will be discussed later in this module.

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Drawn cup needle

bearing installation
rules
- Press only on
stamped end
- Press only to
specified depth
- Use service manual
and proper tooling

Special care needs to be taken when pressing drawn cup needle bearings
into bores since the cups are relatively thin and are easily damaged by
mishandling.
General installation rules are:
1. Press only on the end of the bearing that has the bearing information
stamped on it.
2. Press only to a specified depth and not to an internal shoulder.
3. Use proper tooling and procedures specified in the service manual.
If service manual recommendations are not followed, cup distortion,
cracking and subsequent failure can occur. (Photo courtesy of The
Torrington Company)

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Heating or freezing
bearings for easy
installation
- Heating methods:
- Induction heaters
- Infrared lamps
- Suspended in oil
or oven
- Thermostatically
controlled methods
avoid overheating

Heating or freezing bearings for easier installation must also be correctly

done.
Bearings should be evenly heated with induction heaters, infrared lamps,
suspending in oil, or in ovens. All these processes should be
thermostatically controlled to avoid exceeding service manual
specifications. Higher temperatures may soften bearings.

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Open flame heating

has uncontrolled
temperatures

Avoid heating bearings with an open flame such as a blowtorch because

uneven and uncontrolled temperatures can result.

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Freezing bearings for

easy installation

Sometimes freezing outer races is required for easier installation into

housings. Again, follow service manual instructions for proper freezing
temperatures.

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Parts alignment is
critical to proper
loading

Alignment of shafts, housings, and bearing seats also needs to be within

certain tolerances. Misalignment in any of these areas can cause uneven
loading and result in early failure.

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Bearing fit
- Tight fit can
overload, split races,
increase operating
temperatures

- Loose fit bearings

can move and
increase clearances
- Machining can affect
alignment and fit

The fit of bearings on shafts and in housings should also be correct.

Housing bores or shafts that are too tight can cause overload conditions
that could split inner races or cause tight and subsequently hot running
bearings.
Housing bores or shafts that are too loose can cause bearing races to move
or turn in/on them (excessive "creep") resulting in abnormal wear and
increased clearances.
Improperly machined housing bores can cause misalignment or out of
round bearing races and subsequent overloading of raceways and/or balls
or rollers.

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Tapered roller bearing

fit can be adjusted

Tapered roller bearings are usually adjusted with slotted nuts, shim packs,
etc.

Design may be for

"end play" or
"preload"

Some installations are designed to have "end play." Others are designed
to operate with a certain amount of "preload."

- Preload means tight

fit at operating
temperature
- Preload increases
load capacity
- Preload minimizes
radial and axial
motion
Wrong adjustment
shortens bearing life

Preload means the cone and rollers are adjusted to where at operating
temperatures, they are pressed slightly into the cup.
Preload (illustration on the right) increases the capacity of the bearing by
spreading the applied load over more rollers and over a larger portion of
the fixed raceway compared to bearings adjusted with end play
(illustration on the left).
Preload also minimizes radial and axial shaft motion in precision
applications.
If adjusted too tight or too loose, bearing life may be reduced.

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End play adjustment

- Rotate during
adjustments and
checks to seat
bearings
- Follow service
manual instructions

It is extremely important to rotate the shaft or housing while adjusting and

checking end play on tapered roller bearing installations, to be sure the
bearings are properly seated. If this step is not done, loose bearing
adjustment sometimes results.
Again, service manual instructions should be closely followed to assure
correct adjustment.

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Lubricant
- Use correct quantity,
viscosity, and type
for temperature
control
- Use Operation and
Maintenance Guide

Once bearings are properly installed, it is also important to provide the

correct quantity, viscosity, and type of oil or grease.
Both under filling and over filling compartments can cause excessive
temperatures and bearing damage.
Over filling can cause "churning", churning may increase temperatures
and reduce the viscosity of the oil at the bearing.
To be safe, use Operation and Maintenance Guide recommendations for
correct lubricant quantity, viscosity, and type.

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Operation
- Normal operating
conditions
- High speed creates
oil film thickness
- 2,070 MPa pressure
on oil film between
parts
- Oil film nearly
becomes solid
- Bearing surfaces
deflect cyclically and
elastically
- Limited life due to
fatigue cracking

OPERATION
Normal operating conditions of bearings include factors such as oil film
thickness, applied loads, surface finishes, oil viscosity, and temperature.
During normal high speed operation, rolling elements rotate fast enough
to produce a thin oil film that separates rolling elements from raceway
surfaces. Localized pressures can be as high as 2,070 MPa (300,000 psi)
at the point where rolling elements are supported on the oil film. At this
highly localized pressure the oil film becomes almost solid and the
surfaces of the raceways and rolling elements cyclically and elastically
deflect or move during operation.
For this reason, anti-friction bearings do not have unlimited life. Even if
conditions are normal, subsurface fatigue cracking, due to cyclic
deflection, may result after many, many hours of operation.
In addition to subsurface fatigue, wear from fine debris or corrosive
agents in the oil will be present. Wear on high hour bearings can also be
caused by direct rolling element to raceway contact during start-up,
before oil films are established, or in slower speed applications.

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Slower speed
operation
- Insufficient oil film

In slower speed applications, the oil film may not be sufficient to keep
race and rolling element surfaces completely apart. Under these
conditions, some asperities penetrate the oil film, contact other asperities,
and reduce bearing life.

- Asperity contact
- Reduced bearing life
Designed to give good
service life

This fact is taken into account in bearing design however, so normal

service life in terms of hours of operation is achieved.

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Ball Bearings
Ball bearing wear
characteristics

- Normal wear with

radial loading
- Inner race rotates,
outer race stationary

Loads and resultant wear produce characteristic patterns on raceway

surfaces.
This illustration is of a normal raceway wear pattern on a ball bearing that
is radially loaded. The arrow indicates the direction of the load on the
inner race.
In this application, the shaft (inner ring) is rotating while the housing
(outer ring) is stationary.

- Inner raceway wear

- Outer raceway load
zone

Note, the wear is all around the center of the rotating inner raceway, but is
only on the load zone portion of the non-rotating outer raceway.

AFA STMG 010

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46

Ball bearing wear

characteristics
- Typical wear pattern
for rotating outer
ring and stationary
inner ring
- Outer raceway wear
- Inner raceway load
zone

This wear pattern is typical for a ball bearing that operates with radial
loads where the outer ring rotates and the inner ring is stationary. Again,
the arrow indicates the direction of the load on the inner race.
Note that the wear is all around the center of the outer raceway and only
on the load zone portion of the non-rotating inner raceway.

AFA STMG 010

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47

Ball bearing thrust

loading
- Single direction
thrust wear
Thrust loads wear all
around on one side

If a ball bearing carries consistent thrust loads in one direction, the

raceway wear pattern will be similar to this illustration.
Note: Pure thrust loads cause wear all the way around and toward one
side on both raceways.

AFA STMG 010

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48

Ball bearing carrying

thrust and radial loads
- Stationary outer race
wear pattern

These raceways are from a ball bearing that was carrying both thrust and
radial loads.
The non-rotating outer raceway has a larger wear pattern (downward) in
the direction of the radial load.

AFA STMG 010

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49

Cylindrical Roller Bearings

Cylindrical roller
bearings carry radial
loads
- Rotating raceways
wear all around
- Stationary raceways
have load zones

Cylindrical roller bearings are primarily designed to carry radial loads and
will display normal wear patterns similar to ball bearings in radial
applications. The wear will normally be all around the rotating raceway
surface and only partially around the stationary raceway in the load zone.

AFA STMG 010

9/2000

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50

Cylindrical roller
bearing
- Ribs and roller end
wear is unusual

Ribs and roller ends in cylindrical roller bearings usually have little if any
wear unless subjected to significant thrust loads.

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51

Tapered roller bearing

wear patterns
- Adjustment and load
determine wear
pattern
- Loose adjustment or
light load result in
small wear area

Tapered Roller Bearings

Tapered roller bearing wear patterns will vary depending on the how
tightly they are adjusted or how much thrust load they are required to
carry.
The looser the adjustment and the lighter the thrust loads, the more
tendency for the stationary raceway to have wear on only a portion of its
circumference.

AFA STMG 010

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52

Tight adjustment or
heavy load result in
larger wear area

The tighter the adjustment and the heavier the thrust loads, the more wear
on the total circumference of the stationary raceway.

AFA STMG 010

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53

Tapered roller bearing

thrust loads affect
roller ends and ribs
- Normal loads cause
wear
- Abnormal loads can
score, scuff,
displace metal and
discolor

Thrust loading tends to push the roller end faces into the ribs. Contact
between the large ends of the rollers and the ribs of tapered roller bearings
may cause wear; however, heavy scoring, scuffing, metal displacement,
heat discoloration, etc. would be abnormal.

AFA STMG 010

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54

Straight and tapered

roller wear is uniform
if normal operation
Normal wear pattern
Grinding marks can
be seen with side light
and magnification

Whatever the preload or applied load, if operation is normal, straight and

tapered roller bearing wear should be relatively uniform across the
raceway and roller surfaces.
This race is typical of a normal wear pattern on a tapered roller bearing
cup. The circumferential scratches seen on the raceway surface are
normal grinding marks that are made easily visible by side lighting and
magnification.

AFA STMG 010

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55

Highly loaded
applications
- Crown rollers
prevent overloading
and spalling
- Wear pattern
centered on roller

In highly loaded bearings or in applications with considerable shaft

deflection, rollers are sometimes designed with a special crown on the
surfaces to prevent flattening, overloading and spalling of the ends of the
rollers.
These bearings may have a wear pattern that is concentrated more toward
the middle of the roller surface, especially if the applied loads have been
relatively light.

AFA STMG 010

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56

Lightly loaded
applications
- Wear pattern
centered in raceway

Raceway wear patterns on lightly loaded crowned roller bearings may

also be concentrated toward the middle.

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57

Back of races
- No fretting corrosion
or polishing
- Visible machining
marks

Backs of races should be free of fretting corrosion or polishing. The

machining or grinding marks should still be visible on the surfaces.
Fretting corrosion or polishing from turning in the bore or on a shaft (a
condition called "creep") is abnormal.

AFA STMG 010

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58

Race faces
- May have staining
- No wear

Light staining from the edge of the housing or shaft may be present on the
outer or inner ring faces. There should be no wear on these faces. Wear
would indicate races have moved relative to shafts or housings.

AFA STMG 010

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59

PROBLEMS
Problems
- Contact stress
fatigue (spalling)
- Plastic yielding

Now that normal appearance of used bearings has been discussed some
problems caused by abnormal operating conditions will be easier to
identify.
The most common types of bearing damage (not in order of priority) due
to abnormal conditions are:

- Adhesive wear
- Abrasive wear
- Corrosion
- Fretting Corrosion
- Electrical pitting
- Handling damage
- Fractures

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Contact stress fatigue (spalling)

Plastic yielding
Adhesive wear
Abrasive wear
Corrosion
Fretting Corrosion and Creep
Electrical pitting and fluting
Handling and installation damage
Fractures

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60

Key points to remember when analyzing bearing failures are as follows:

Failure analysis
- Abnormal conditions
create load and heat
- One damage type
may generate
another
- Investigate failure
early
- Consider all facts
- Eliminate
preconceived ideas

1. Most abnormal conditions will eventually cause high loads and/or

temperatures at raceways and rolling elements. High loads and
temperatures can disturb the oil film, cause abnormal wear, spalling
and/or plastic yielding and ultimate failure.
2. When one damage type occurs, it may further generate other damage
types on the same part surface. As such, at the time of investigation,
there may be two or more types of damage present, with the
secondary damage overlaid on top of the initial damage.
3. It is desirable to investigate a failure in its earliest possible stages
to most accurately determine the correct root cause.
4. Be sure to consider all facts and possible conditions during analysis to
eliminate preconceived ideas about the cause of failure.

AFA STMG 010

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61

Magnetic strainer
- Severe damage
increases analysis
difficulty

If there is this much metal on the magnetic strainer in a system, chances

are the damage has progressed to where it will be very difficult to
determine the specific condition that started the failure (Root Cause).
Careful study of all the facts will be essential to determine the most
probable root cause.

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62

Contact Stress Fatigue

Contact stress fatigue
- Overload with oil
- Cyclic flexing
- Subsurface fatigue
- "Spalling"

If overloaded with enough cool oil to keep the bearing from softening due
to high temperature, raceway and rolling element surfaces can
prematurely fail due to "rolling contact stress fatigue."
In rolling contact stress fatigue, high rolling stresses cause cyclic flexing
of rolling element and raceway surfaces. This surface movement initiates
small fatigue cracks beneath the surface.
These cracks can grow and progress upward, eventually breaking out
large pieces of material, creating a condition known as spalling.

AFA STMG 010

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63

Contact stress fatigue

can result from
- Loads

There are many possible root causes of premature contact stress fatigue in
rolling element bearings, including:
1. Excessive applied loads.

- Tight adjustment

2. Tapered roller bearings adjusted too tight.

- Loose adjustment

3. Tapered roller bearings adjusted too loose.

- Tight fit

4. Shaft too big or housing too small.

- Out of round

5. Out of round housing or shaft.

- Tapered

6. Tapered housing bore or shaft.

- Misalignment

7. Misalignment.
- Lube

8. Low viscosity lubrication.

9. Etc.

AFA STMG 010

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64

Too loose
- Fewer rollers carry
the load
- Wear and spalling
occur
- Horizontal mounting
will have
- Small wear area
on stationary race
- Off center roller
and race wear
- Damaged cage
windows

Correct adjustment of tapered roller bearings is essential. If the bearing is

adjusted too loose (too much end play), wear and spalling can occur due
to overload from not enough rollers taking the load.
In horizontal shaft applications (primarily radial load), this could result in:
1. Wear and spalling all around the rotating raceway but only on a small
portion of the stationary raceway.
2. Rollers can show more wear and spalling on one end than the other.
Raceways can also show more wear and spalling toward one face than
the other.
3. Cage windows on bearings on either end of the shaft may show
lipping and an "hour glass" wear pattern.

AFA STMG 010

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65

Too loose
- Too much end play
- Narrow spalled area
- Spalling not in
normal wear location

This stationary cup was overloaded due to loss of adjustment of the

bearing (too much end play). Note the narrow area of spalling. The
bearing had so much end play, that the rollers were not contacting the
raceway surface across its entire width.

AFA STMG 010

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66
Too loose
- Tapered rollers
spalled on the end
- Cage window lipping
and "hour glass"
wear
- Roller alignment
problems
- Window notches are
abnormal stress
raisers
- Check other
bearings
- Determine reason for
excess end play

These tapered rollers are from the same bearing and are spalled on the
small ends of the rollers indicating. misalignment from too much end
play.
Also note the lipping (rolling up of a burr) and the "hour glass" wear
pattern on the cage windows (window is slightly wider toward the ends of
the rollers than in the middle). This wear pattern occurs when the rollers
are allowed to skew and rub with greater than normal force against the
cage windows. The rollers were not held in line by correct adjustment
and seating force against the cone back face rib.
In addition, the rollers in this cone have also worn sharp notches at the
cage window corners. These abnormal stress raisers can cause fatigue
fractures of the cage window struts. Once the cage window struts fail,
rollers can skew even more, stop rolling, and result in extensive bearing
damage.
Too much end play could also affect the bearing at the other end of the
shaft in the same way.
At this point, determine why the bearing had too much end play. Was the
bearing incorrectly adjusted when installed or become loose during
operation due to conditions such as debris behind races, retaining nuts
backing off, bolts loosening, abnormal wear from dirt or other debris in
the lubricant, etc.?

AFA STMG 010

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67

Too tight
- Excess preload
overloads in thrust

If preload is too tight, rolling elements and raceways can be overloaded in

thrust causing premature fatigue of their surfaces, spalling, and failure.
Road signs of this condition on horizontal shaft applications include:

Road signs
- Large wear and/or
spalling area
- Wear/spalling evenly
across contact
surfaces

1) Spalling/wear over a large portion of the circumferences of both the

rotating and stationary raceways.
2) Rollers and raceways are worn/spalled evenly across the surfaces
from face to face.

AFA STMG 010

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68

Typical road signs of

excess thrust loads
- Wear all around cup

This tapered roller bearing cup has typical road signs indicating it had
excessive thrust loads applied possibly from being adjusted too tight.
Note the even spall pattern on this stationary cup. This pattern can be
found completely around the circumference of the cup.

- Deep wear location

- Cone moved in as
spalling occurred

This particular raceway also shows wear/spalling extending all the way
toward the back face of the cup indicating the cone was running very deep
in the cup just prior to disassembly.

- Spalling increases
end play and can
cause misalignment

This road sign indicates that after the tight or highly thrust loaded bearing
spalled the thrust loads pushed the cone and rollers to this depth.
Note that as spalling continued the end play increased, unloading the
bearings on both ends of the shaft and causing some shaft misalignment
as evidenced by the heavier wear pattern and "grooving" toward the front
face of the cup.

AFA STMG 010

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69

Roller and cone

spalling from tight fit
Cage windows
indicate loose fit after
spalling

Investigate all
possible reasons for
excess preload

The rollers and cone show the same even spall pattern indicating these
parts were also running tight at one time in their life and were overloaded.
Note however, the lipping and "hour glass" shaped wear in the cage
windows. This type wear implies the rollers were allowed to skew and
wear the cage windows (after the bearing loosened) due to increased
clearances from the wear and spalling. This condition was secondary to
the too tight/too much thrust condition which happened first.
Remember that not only tight adjustment but also excessive thrust loads,
or a shaft that is too big or a housing that is to small, can overload tapered
roller bearings and give similar road signs. Investigate all possible root
causes before arriving at the most probable cause.
If tight bearing adjustment is suspected, review adjustment procedures
with the installing service technician.

AFA STMG 010

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70

Tight fitting bearings

can become
overloaded

If shafts are too large or housings are too small, internal clearances can be
reduced to the point where rolling elements and raceways are overloaded
at operating temperatures.

Road signs will be

similar to excess
thrust or preload
problems

Assuming temperatures are controlled, road signs would be:

1. Abnormal wear and/or spalling on the complete circumference of both
the rotating and the stationary races.
2. Wear and/or spalling distributed evenly across the wear surfaces of the
rollers and raceways.
The appearance will be similar to the tapered roller bearing subjected to
too much preload or thrust shown in slides No.68 and No.69.

AFA STMG 010

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71

Out of round parts will

have two or more load
zones
Load zones are at top
and bottom

Another dimensional problem that can reduce bearing life is if the shaft or
housing is out of round. In this case the wear/spalling pattern on the race
installed in or on the out of round part will show two or more load zones.
The illustration in this slide would indicate an out of round (oval) housing
bore. Note the two load zones (top and bottom) on the outer, stationary
race.

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72

Tapered parts can

over load bearings
Road signs are
usually found on the
back side of bearings
- Heavier contact
areas
- Heat discoloration
- Fretting corrosion

Tapered shafts or housing bores can also overload bearings. Road signs
can usually be found on the back of the bearing race mounted in or on the
tapered part.
As seen here, the contact pattern may be heavier where the race is tighter
(on the right in this example). The well defined (straight) line at the edge
of the heavier contact area may indicate there was actually a step in this
housing bore.
The bearing also shows heat discoloration in the heavier contact area.
The discoloration was caused by increased temperature due to reduced
rolling element to raceway clearances.

- Fatigue cracking

Although not present on this bearing, fretting corrosion or fatigue

cracking due to flexing where races are not adequately supported by
shafts or housings is possible.

AFA STMG 010

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73

Misaligned parts
have:
- Unusual wear
- Contact stress
fatigue
- Wandering wear
pattern

Misalignment can also cause unusual wear, contact stress fatigue and
spalling. Misalignment of shafts or housings will normally cause
wear/spall patterns to wander from one face to the other on one or both
raceways.
This tapered roller bearing raceway shows a wear pattern caused by a
shaft that was out of alignment due to loss of bearing support on the other
end. If allowed to run longer and if temperatures are not excessive, the
surface could eventually develop contact stress fatigue and spalling.

AFA STMG 010

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74

Low oil viscosity

- Thin oil film allows
more asperity
contact
- Rolling contact
stress fatigue and
spalling occur
- Axial fracture and
wear patterns

If oil viscosity is too low, the oil film may be too thin and result in more
asperity contact than normal. This condition can over load bearing
raceway and rolling element surfaces. If rolling elements continue to roll
(don't slide), and if temperatures are low enough for the steel to maintain
hardness, rolling contact stress fatigue cracking and spalling can occur.
These fatigue cracks and spall patterns will usually have an orientation
across the raceway, in-line with the shaft (axial orientation).

AFA STMG 010

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75

Plastic yielding
- Results from high
temperature,
insufficient oil film,
or high loads
- Root causes include
lube quantity, lube
quality high loads

Plastic Yielding
Another type of damage found on anti-friction bearings is plastic yielding.
High temperatures, insufficient oil film separating the surfaces or heavy
loads that permanently deform bearing materials at normal temperatures
can cause plastic yielding.
Root causes include oil quantity (not enough or too much oil or grease),
oil quality (too thick, too thin, etc.), high bearing loads, etc.

AFA STMG 010

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76

Lack of lube shows

heat discoloration and
no cooked on oil
- Pinion and bearing
failed without oil

If the root cause is quantity (no oil or grease), the bearing surfaces and
surrounding components will usually be softened from high temperature,
show heat discoloration, and will generally be rather dry looking with
little burned or cooked on oil.
This 816 dozer differential pinion bearing failed when a plug worked out
of the axle housing resulting in loss of oil to the bearing and other
components.
Note the heat discoloration and the absence of cooked or burned oil on the
surfaces (dry look).

AFA STMG 010

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77

Cage and rollers show

severe heat road
signs

The bearing cage and rollers also show signs of severe heat. The rollers
are softened as indicated by plastic yielding. The cage was deformed
allowing the rollers to skew, stop turning, skid, cause adhesive wear and
generate even more heat.

AFA STMG 010

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78

Closer view of rollers

A closer look at some of the rollers shows the softening, plastic yielding,
and evidence of skewing.

AFA STMG 010

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79

Pinion bearing cup

with hot dry look

The outer race also shows signs of heat discoloration, adhesive wear,
deposits from the melted cage, and a hot, dry look (no cooked-on oil).

AFA STMG 010

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80

Look for signs of heat

on other parts

Another road sign to look for in lubrication caused failures is evidence of

heat on seals, gears, shafts and other bearings in the same system. This
cup is from the bearing on the other end of the shaft and is temper colored
indicating high temperature was present here also.

AFA STMG 010

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81

Proper cleaning
techniques
- Soft bristle brush
and mild solvent
removes lacquer
- Crocus cloth used
lightly removes
lacquer coloring

NOTE: If a bearing is suspected to been hot, proper cleaning is

important to determine if the discoloration is really oxide deposits
from excess heat or lacquer from oil residue and not necessarily a
road sign of high temperature. The following method will usually
help.
1. Wash the bearing with a soft bristle brush in clean solvent. If the
discoloration is removed, the deposit is probably lacquer and not
temper oxides.
2. If the discoloration is still present after washing, rub the surface
lightly with crocus cloth. Discoloration from oil lacquer will
normally be removed with the crocus cloth. Discoloration or temper
oxide from excess heat will normally not be removed.

AFA STMG 010

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82

Hot, dry look with

plastic deformation
- Bearing closest to
the heat source
(gear) failed first

This 910 pinion bearing also suffered from loss of oil. The bearing
nearest the highly loaded pinion gear failed first. Note the hot, dry look,
with much plastic yielding.

AFA STMG 010

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83

Other parts may also

show distress
- Temper colors mean
small end of rollers
were overloaded

The bearing on the other end of the shaft also shows distress from no oil
and from misalignment caused by lack of support of the failed bearing.
Notice the heat discolored band on the raceway near the front face of the
cone where the small ends of the tapered rollers were carrying more than
normal load with insufficient oil film.

AFA STMG 010

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84

All parts show signs

of lack of lube.
- Determine why there
was insufficient lube

The rollers also show evidence of high temperature due to inadequate

lubrication and misalignment. All road signs suggest there was
inadequate oil quantity in this case. The analyst now needs to determine
why the oil was not present in sufficient quantity.

AFA STMG 010

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85

Hot, wet look

- Usually caused by
- Low viscosity oil
- High operating
temperatures
- High loads
- Rough surfaces

- Asperity contact
increases wear and
temperatures

Bearings can also over heat and plastically yield due to factors other than
no lubrication, namely:
1) Using oil with viscosity that is too low.
2) High operating temperatures. (Ambient temperatures too high, oil
quantity marginal, too much oil or grease causing churning.
3) High loads

-- applied
-- misalignment
-- misadjustment
-- etc.

4) Rough surface finish.

Any of these conditions can cause more asperity contact than normal.
Asperity contact can then accelerate wear and may further increase
surface temperatures on rollers, cages, raceways, and ribs.
If heat is not controlled to below the tempering temperatures, surfaces can
be softened resulting in plastic yielding.

AFA STMG 010

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86

Asperity contact
roughens and cracks
part surface

Failures caused by too much asperity contact usually start with

roughening and fine axial cracking of surfaces as seen on the right of this
spherical roller bearing raceway.

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87

Cage windows
damage

Also, some lipping (rolling up of a burr) can occur on edges of the

relatively soft cage windows that rolling elements rub against. In this
case, however, the cage windows will usually not be worn to an "hour
glass" shape, unless bearing adjustment is lost or is set too loose allowing
rollers to skew and wobble.

AFA STMG 010

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88

Glazed appearance on
rollers and races
Material pull out on
rolling elements

Rolling elements and raceways may also appear glazed from plastic roll
down (flattening of asperities) and polishing (burnishing) of a very thin
surface layer. The glazed surfaces may also show some heat discoloration
if surface temperatures have been high.

Spalling will occur

next, as seen on these
rollers.

Next, small pieces may begin to pull out of rolling element and/or
raceway surfaces forming pits. These pits may have a "frosted"
appearance.
Frosting can then progress to spalling as is seen on some portions of these
roller surfaces.

AFA STMG 010

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89

Worn or broken cages

lose control of the
rollers

If cages wear or break, rollers may get out of line, skew, etc., begin to
slide instead of roll, generating enough heat to soften rollers and
raceways. In this case, plastic yielding and discoloration can occur.

AFA STMG 010

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90

Typical hot, wet look

with cooked on oil

If substantial heat is generated, the bearing and surrounding surfaces may

also appear discolored and damp, with burned, cooked or carbonized oil
deposited.
Burned or carbonized oil is evidence that there was oil at the bearing, but
the heat generated was too great for the oil to control.

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91

Analysis challenge is
to determine lube
- quantity
- viscosity
- film capability
Immediate failure
analysis is important

The challenge to the analyst when bearings have been hot (but not
completely dry) is to determine:
1. if the quantity of oil or grease supplied was marginal,
2. if the viscosity of the oil was too low due to:
a. use of the wrong oil,
b. high operating temperatures (environment or too much oil or
grease causing churning), or,
3. if the bearing oil film was disturbed or overloaded due to high applied
loads, misadjustment, misalignment, incorrect dimensional fit, rough
surface finish, etc..
There are many conditions that can give the same resultant damage in
rolling element bearings. Immediate analysis of bearing failures is
therefore very important. Gather as many background facts as possible,
such as oil quality, quantity, loading, operating temperatures, etc., before
arriving at the most probable root cause.

AFA STMG 010

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92

Brinell marks are

dents caused by
excess load
Forceful assembly
have grinding marks
in the dents

Another type of plastic yielding not usually accompanied by signs of high

temperature is called "brinelling." Brinell marks are dents on raceway
surfaces from excessive loads being transferred through the rolling
elements.
As mentioned earlier, brinelling can be caused during assembly by
forcefully driving one race into position through the other race and rolling
elements. Road signs are:
1) Dents all the way around raceways at the same spacing as the rolling
elements,
2) Grinding marks visible in the bottom of the dents.

AFA STMG 010

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93

Wear pattern in the

bottom of the dents
meaning:
- Shock loading did
not happen during
original assembly
- Damaged while
bearing was not
rotating
Brinelling gives lube
an escape path

Another example of brinelling is shown here. Note the wear pattern in the
bottom of the dent is undisturbed. The rolling element actually dented the
surface, but did not rub or wear away the wear pattern that existed before
the brinell mark was formed.
This brinell mark did not occur during installation but after the bearing
operated for some time.
High shock loads applied (such as dropping a machine) while the bearing
is not rotating cause this condition.
If brinelling occurs after the machine has operated (and there has been
wear in the bearing), the wear marks will be visible in the bottom of the
dents instead of or in addition to the original grinding marks.
Brinelling can cause localized interruption of the oil film thickness, too
much surface contact and overload between raceways and rolling
elements.
Overloading can then progress to spalling, starting at the brinell marks.

AFA STMG 010

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94

Bruises are dents

from large particles
- Hard particles
produce sharp
angled dents
- Soft particles
produce smooth
shallow dents
- Large particles may
cause the bearing to
lockup

Large particles in the lubricant, such as metal debris from a gear or

another bearing failure, can cause plastic yielding and surface or fragment
denting (called "bruising") of raceways and rolling elements. Hard
particles will produce sharp angular dents where softer particles will
produce smoother more shallow dents.
Large particles can also jam between rolling elements and raceway
surfaces causing bearings to "lock-up." When a bearing locks up relative
movement between the races and shafts or housing bores will occur.

AFA STMG 010

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95

Bruising leads to
spalling

If allowed to run long enough, bruising can lead to spalling as seen in this
tapered roller bearing cup.

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96

Adhesive Wear
Adhesive wear can
occur with adequate
lube for cooling

Adhesive wear, without extreme plastic deformation, can occur on race

and rolling element surfaces if there is sufficient cool oil or grease to
control heat and if rollers stop turning and start sliding. As mentioned
earlier, one way rollers can stop turning is if the cage is excessively worn
or broken allowing rollers to skew and start skidding on raceways.

AFA STMG 010

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97

Typical surface
adhesive wear
Lack of temper colors
indicate oil was
present
Analyst should
determine what
stopped the rollers

These raceways are typical of the type of surface adhesive wear caused by
this condition.
Note the wear did not create excessive heat or soften the steel as there is
little if any discoloration or gross plastic yielding. This indicates there
was enough oil to carry away much of the heat generated by the adhesive
wear.
The challenge when this condition exists is to determine why the rollers
stopped turning or why the cage was worn or broken.

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98

Abrasive Wear
Abrasive wear

Abrasives such as dirt or sand in lube systems can also cause bearing
failures.

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Fine abrasives create

a matte or satin finish

This bearing race had a considerable amount of fine abrasives present

during operation. Note the matte or satin finish on the raceway due to
fine pitting. The pitting is a result of the lapping action of the abrasive
material. This same condition existed on the rollers and other raceway.

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Heavy contamination
leads to:
- Bearing lockup
- Ball or roller sliding
- Increase end play
- Pitting
- Fatigue cracking and
spalling

If contamination is extensive, bearings can lock up, cause rollers or balls

to slide generating adhesive wear, and/or cause races to move in housings
or on shafts.
Severe contamination can also cause rolling element and raceway wear
that can increase end play on tapered roller bearings (loose adjustment)
which can result in abnormal cage wear, skewed rollers, cage fracture, and
extensive damage.
Severe pitting can lead to fatigue cracking and spalling of surfaces at high
operating hours. Fatigue cracking and spalling can be due both to the
abnormal stress raiser effect of the pit and the hydraulic force exerted by
oil being forced into the pit during operation.

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101

Look at other parts in

the same lube system
for road signs

If abrasives cause bearings to progress to adhesive wear or spalling, the

root cause will be difficult to determine by looking at only the failed
bearing. Careful observation of other parts in the same lubrication system
however, will generally give evidence of system contamination.
Look for the matte or satin finish discussed earlier on other bearings and
gears lubricated by the same oil.

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Abrasive wear
- First determine what
the abrasive material
is
- Use magnification
and good lighting
- Debris can be builtin or enter later
- Careful analysis
finds the root cause

If there is evidence of abrasive wear, the analyst needs to determine the

exact source of the abrasive material.
Using magnification to identify what type particle caused the wear is a
good practice.
There are many sources such as debris built into the system, cracked
housings, dirt entry through failed seals, failure to clean grease fittings,
contaminated grease, etc.
If seals are failed, determine whether the seal failed first contaminating
the system or whether the bearing failed first causing shaft motion,
resulting in a failed seal that allowed dirt entry.
Careful observation and consideration of all facts and possibilities are
necessary to determine the exact root cause.

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103

Corrosion
Manufacturers dip and
wrap new bearings
Bearings prepared for
inspection will rust
quickly

New bearings are dipped in a rust preventative solution and wrapped in

protective paper by the manufacturer.
If bearings are removed from a machine and cleaned, rust can begin very
rapidly. Therefore, protect removed bearings with oil, grease, or other
rust inhibitor.
Protected bearings should also be stored in a dry place.

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104

Unprotected bearings
may be unfit for reuse

If these precautions are not followed, atmospheric corrosion can occur

and result in a bearing that is not fit for use.

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Corrosion can affect

assembled bearings
"Static corrosion" or
"black acid etching"
occurs during
shutdown periods
Moisture collects
around rollers and
corrodes

Corrosion can occur after the bearing is installed if moisture enters the
lubrication system. Many times the corrosion will take place while the
machine is shut down and produce a condition known as "static
corrosion" or "black acid etching."
Under these conditions, moisture (coupled with acids formed in the used
oil), collects around the rolling elements and produces dark, evenly
spaced corrosion stains, pits, or deposits as seen on this tapered roller
bearing cup raceway. Deep pits can cause fatigue cracks, spalling and
subsequent failure.

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Static corrosion of the

rollers

This slide shows the static corrosion on the rollers of this same bearing.

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107

Fretting Corrosion and Creep

Fretting corrosion or
creep indicate
movement
"False brinelling"
indicates vibration
without rotation

Sometimes road signs such as fretting corrosion or creep on inner or outer

bearing bore surfaces will indicate movement relative to shaft or housing
has occurred.
The analyst may also notice fretting corrosion on raceway surfaces where
rolling elements have vibrated while the bearing was not rotating -- a
condition called "false brinelling."

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Fretting corrosion
indicates movement

The outer bore surface of this race shows fretting corrosion, a road sign
indicating relative movement.

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"Creep" is a product
of excessive
movement
- Road signs are
radial marks on the
race
Housing or shaft may
require replacement

This bearing outer race turned excessively in the housing, a condition

called "creep."
Road signs of creep are a smooth, polished appearance on the bearing
race.
If creep occurs, housings or shafts where races are mounted will usually
also be worn. Care must be taken to assure shafts or housings are
salvaged or replaced, if worn to the point where new bearings will be
loose.

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110

Creep may also affect

the rib faces.
Thrust loading can
produce similar marks

If races have moved, rib faces may also show wear from turning against
shoulders on shafts or in housings. Under these conditions, the grinding
marks will be disturbed or worn away as seen in this slide.
This appearance can also result from high thrust loads in tapered roller
bearings. These thrust loads can rock the cup in its bore without actually
causing it to rotate. This rocking action can then disturb or wear the
grinding marks off of rib faces.

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Reasons for
movement or creep
are:
- Shaft too small
- Housing bore too
large
- Rolling element
stopped rotating

If a bearing race moves or "creeps" in its housing or on its shaft, the

analyst should determine if:
1. the shaft was too small,
2. the housing bore was too large or,
3. the race moved because the rolling elements stopped turning for
reasons such as skewing or foreign material being lodged between
rolling elements and raceways.

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"False brinelling"
- Caused by vibration
without rotation
- Can occur during
shipping
- Can affect bearings
that do not rotate
during operation

Brinelling was discussed earlier. There is another condition which looks

similar called "false brinelling."
False brinelling is different than true brinelling. False brinelling is not a
result of heavy shock loads, but is actually fretting or fretting corrosion
caused by vibration under load while the bearing is not turning.
For example, false brinelling can occur when shipping machinery a long
distance by rail. Under these conditions, the rolling elements that support
heavy loads may vibrate and wear into raceway surfaces.
This cylindrical roller bearing supports the swash plate in a hydraulic
excavator variable displacement pump. During operation the bearing
rotates only a few degrees as the pump is required to produce more or less
flow. Much of the time it is stationary and is subjected to vibration under
normal loads. After many operating hours, it is possible to find some
false brinelling on the raceway surfaces.

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Closer view shows

grinder marks worn
away

Notice on this magnified view, the original grinding marks are worn away
where the roller vibrated against the raceway. This road sign indicates
that false brinelling occurred.
Now the analyst should follow the root cause path that identifies the
source of the vibration rather than suspecting that shock loads while the
machine was not operating caused the problem.

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114

Electrical pitting and

fluting
Two most common
types are
- High current not
rotating
- Low current rotating

Electrical Pitting and Fluting

Another abnormal condition that can cause bearing failures is the passage
of electric current through them. Two major ways this can happen are:
1. Relatively high current while the bearing is not rotating, and
2. Relatively low current over a prolonged period of time while the
bearing is rotating.

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115

High current causes

arcing and pitting

High current while the bearing is not rotating usually causes arcing and
pitting as seen here. Root causes can include welding on a machine with
the ground cable connected in such a manner that electric current passes
through the bearing. These pits can lead to spalling and ultimate failure.
(Photo courtesy of The Timken Company)

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116

Low current leaves

small pits over a large
area

Another form of electrical damage is the passage of relatively low current

over a prolonged period during operation.

- Can increased
vibration, noise and
fluting

Road signs are many small pits covering a large portion of the rolling
elements and the raceway paths. If vibration is also present, these pits can
further develop into fluting, noise and increased vibration.
Flutes are the axial lines on this ball bearing raceway.

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117

Closer view of flutes

In this magnified view, the fluting lines are actually concentrated groups
or clusters of small pits.

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118

Handling and Installation Damage

Handling bearings
incorrectly
Installation and
removal procedures

Faulty handling or mounting and dismounting practices can cause

bearings to fail.

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119

Mishandling may
cause dents, cracks
or chips
Races are very hard
and will brittle fracture
Cone has impact
damage and brittle
fracture

If bearings are dropped or otherwise forcefully mishandled before

installation, raceways can be dented, cracked, or chipped. Fractures will
normally initiate on the exposed surfaces of the races that are vulnerable
to outside forces.
Since raceways are heat treated to a very high hardness, fractures will
normally be brittle. Therefore, magnification and good lighting are
required when looking for evidence of crack initiation at the exposed
surface.
This cone appears to have been struck by an external force on the rib face.
Note the impact damage with local heat discoloration from the sliding
action of the impact load on the rib face surface.

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120

Bearing cage damage

can lead binding of
the rollers

The bearing cage was impact damaged by dropping the cone before
installation. Damage such as this could crack cages, cause rollers to bind
in the cage, skew, stop turning, begin skidding, generate heat, and lead to
a serious failure.

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121

Avoid spinning the

bearing with
compressed air

Another way to cause handling damage to bearings is allowing the

bearing to spin while using compressed air for drying after cleaning. This
practice should be avoided since skidding and adhesive surface damage
(scuffing) to raceways and rolling elements can occur with no oil film to
separate them.

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122

Improper installation
- Brittle fractures at
the ribs and snap
ring grooves

Roller bearing ribs can be chipped or broken during installation by

driving or pressing through rolling elements.
Under these conditions, brittle fractures can occur which break out pieces
of the ribs or material outside snap ring grooves.

- Ribs fractures at the

same spacing as
rollers

If there is a rib on the race, the broken pieces will tend to be at the same
spacing as the rollers.

- Snap ring groove

fractures are random
spacing

If the rollers are retained with a snap ring, as is the case in this slide, a
random fracture spacing will occur.

- Fractures are brittle

and start at fillets or
corners

In either case, these fractures will normally be brittle and initiate at fillets
on the inside of the ribs or at the corners of snap ring groves.

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123

Improper tooling
- Damage can
interfere with
performance

Using improper tooling for removal or installation can result in uneven

and/or forceful blows on bearing races, cages, rolling elements, housings
or shafts. This bearing race was installed with a punch or chisel.
If deep enough, dents like this can interfere with rolling element travel,
cause localized high stress, and initiate spalling. The dent is also an
abnormal stress raiser that could initiate a fatigue crack.

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124

Improper tooling
- Damage can affect
the next bearing

This same bearing race was also removed with a chisel. There are chisel
marks in the housing bore which could cause high spots behind the race,
reduce bearing clearances, and cause the bearing to run hot or be
overloaded resulting in premature contact stress fatigue and spalling.

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125

Improper tooling
- Localized bearing
damage in two areas

This tapered roller bearing cup is spalled in only a localized area of the
raceway.
Although not shown in this slide, there is another similar area about 120
degrees around the cup's circumference.

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126

Close up of bearing
O. D.
- High spots create
seating problems
- Improper tools can
damage housings

Close inspection of the O. D. bore surface of the cup reveals two areas
where the cup was not allowed to seat properly due to a high spot on the
housing bore surface.
This high spot in the housing bore caused reduced bearing clearance
resulting in localized overload and contact stress fatigue and spalling.
The two high spots in the housing bore were probably the result of using
improper tooling during bearing installation or removal.

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127

Misalignment can
damage bearings
Damage will usually
be at roller spacing

This cup was forced

into position during
assembly
One side has marks
near the front of the
wear face

During assembly or disassembly, raceways can also be damaged if forced

onto the mating roller and race assemblies without proper alignment.
This type of damage results in smear marks and possibly brinell marks on
rollers and raceways.
Spacing of the marks will be the same as roller spacing and will either be
all the way around or concentrated in only a portion of the race
circumference.
This tapered roller bearing cup was not properly seated (cocked) in the
bore when installed. As the shaft and cone assembly was moved into
position, heavy pressure from misalignment (due to the cocked cup)
caused brinell and smear marks to be formed on the cup raceway surface.
Note the marks are concentrated toward the front face on this portion of
the cup.

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128

Opposite side shows

damage at the rear of
the wear surface

This portion of the cup is 180 degrees opposite the previous view. Note
that these brinell and smear marks are concentrated more toward the back
face of the cup.

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129

More damage was

found indicating
misalignment
All road signs indicate
improper seating
during assembly
Operating the
equipment would fail
the bearing

The O. D. bore surface near the back face of the cup also shows scuff
marks on only one portion of the circumference from the cup
straightening in the housing bore during shaft and cone installation and
bearing adjustment.
These road signs indicate the cup was not properly seated in the housing
bore prior to shaft and cone installation.
If this bearing were allowed to operate with this damage, the smear/brinell
marks on the raceways could have interrupted oil film and caused
premature pitting and spalling of the raceway and roller surfaces.

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130

Do not use a punch or

chisel on drawn cup
bearings
Damaged bearings
should not be reused

This drawn cup needle bearing was removed with a punch or chisel. Note
the indentations on the thin cup lip that doesn't have the bearing
information stamped on it. Bearings removed in this manner should not
be reused as the damage could stop rollers from turning and cause them to
slide, resulting in adhesive wear and failure.

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131

Wrong flange angle

can damage bearings
Use proper tooling
and press on the
correct side

Drawn cup bearings that are pressed in using tooling with the wrong
flange angle can be damaged by caving in and breaking off the lip at one
end of the cup. The other lip was broken at removal. Proper tooling is
very important and press only on the end of the bearing with the bearing
information stamped on it.
(Photo courtesy of The Torrington Company)

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132

Careful disassembly
will prevent bearing
damage

Using care when removing shafts through bearing bores is also very
important.

Keys and splines on

shafts can damage
bearings

This drawn cup bearing was damaged when the corner of a key in the
shaft key way caught on one of the rollers as the shaft was removed
through the bearing bore.
Feeling resistance to movement, the technician decided to press the shaft
the rest of the way out of the bore. The key pushed the roller through the
cage and fractured the lip on the end of the cup.
The key also pressed down on the roller and brinelled the raceway near
the opposite end of the cup.

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133

Heating methods used

to remove bearing
races

Practices sometimes used in bearing removal are flame cutting of inner

races or weld bead shrinking of outer races.

- Should be avoided

When possible, these methods should avoided since uncontrolled heat is

generated and physical damage can be done to housings or shafts.

- Creates uncontrolled
heating
- May damage shafts
and housings

This cup was loosened in the bore by the weld bead method. The heat
discoloration extends all the way to the outside diameter. This procedure
may have caused excessive heat to be transmitted into the housing.

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134

Flame cutting may

damage shafts

This cone was removed by flame cutting. Note the cone is actually cut
through and into the shaft. As a result, the shaft was damaged both by:
1. raising a high spot that would need to be ground off before
installing another bearing, and
2. cutting a groove in the shaft creating an abnormal stress raiser.
Consult the service manual for proper tools and procedures.

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135

Fractures
- Fractures may result
from overload or
misalignment

Fractures
Fractures in anti-friction bearing races or rolling elements that are
properly heat treated and do not contain abnormal subsurface flaws, are
usually due to heavy overload conditions.
If severe, misalignment can over load, wear and fracture rolling elements,
ribs and races.

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136

Fractures
- Broken D3 winch
after 100 hours

This group of parts is from a D3 winch with approximately 100 SMU.

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137

Gears have road signs

of misalignment

The gear on the shaft and the mating gear show signs of severe
misalignment.

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138

Cylindrical roller
bearing race fractured
by shaft misalignment

The outer race of the cylindrical roller bearing on one end of the shaft is
fractured due to over load caused by the prying action of shaft
misalignment.

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139

Brittle fractured rib is

a road sign of shock
loading

The rib on the outer race of the bearing on the opposite end of the shaft is
broken off in brittle fracture indicating a severe shock load was applied.

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140

Fractured rollers

Several of the rollers in this same bearing were split in half.

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141

Closer view of
fractured roller

The broken rollers have ductile fractures in the softer core and brittle
fractures in the harder case material indicating a sudden high load was
applied.

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142

Roller ends are

spalled

The ends of the rollers are spalled and worn from unusual loading due to
misalignment.

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143

Fatigue fractures on
roller end from high
cyclic loading

Note the fatigue fractures (spalling) on this roller start at the end and
progresses toward the middle due to high cyclic loads from the severe
misalignment.

Need to determine
what caused
misalignment

The question facing the analyst at this point is "What caused the severe
misalignment?"

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144

Failed housing
supported the bearing
outer race
- Subsequent damage
from misalignment

This housing supported the bearing outer race that was cracked. The race
and shaft were forced to move out of the housing at the fractured bore
multiple times.
The rest of the damage to the bearings and gears was the result of severe
shaft misalignment.

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145

Housing appears to
have a brittle fracture
- Brittle fracture is
caused by shock
load
- Fracture
identification can be
difficult in cast iron
- Faint semi-circular
pattern could
indicate fatigue
- High cyclic loading
or flaw are possible
causes of failure

Close observation of the cast iron housing with bright and angled lighting
reveals what appears to be a brittle fracture.
Brittle fractures are usually caused by shock loads. The analyst should
now investigate the application of the D3 to see how a shock load could
have been applied.
Remember that fatigue fractures are sometimes very difficult to identify
in cast iron. Looking carefully at the fracture face, there is a faint semicircular pattern radiating from the fillet in the bottom of the housing bore.
This pattern could be the road sign of a fatigue crack.
Therefore, an unusually high cyclic load or a material or process flaw
could have caused a fatigue fracture in the housing. These possibilities
would also need to be investigated prior to arriving at a most probable
root cause.

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146

Bearing problems
- Material and
manufacturing
problems are rare
- One example
available

Bearing Problems
Material, forming, machining, heat treat, grinding and assembly problems
are extremely rare in anti-friction bearings. This is due to the high quality
bearing steels and the strict quality control measures used in their
manufacture.
As a result only one example of a manufacturing problem is presented
here.

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147

Bearing with early

hour failure

This bearing failed after only a few hundred hours of operation. The cage
is broken into many pieces.

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148

Bearing failure
- Outer race and balls
look normal

The outer race and balls look relatively normal. Only light scuffing is
observed which is from the cage pieces rubbing against the race and balls
as the cage was breaking up.

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149

Bearing failure
- Inner race is
plastically deformed
and soft (RC 20)
- No temper colors on
parts
- Other bearing parts
were normal
hardness
- Inner race missed
heat treatment

The inner race, however, shows considerable plastic deformation. The

notch on the outer edge of the raceway was easily cut with a file causing
the analyst to question the material hardness. When tested, the hardness
was found to be less than RC 20.
No evidence of excessive operating temperature (no heat discoloration)
was found on the bearing or adjacent parts that could have softened the
race. As mentioned earlier, the outer race and balls looked relatively
normal and were of normal hardness.
Therefore the analyst concluded that the inner race most probably missed
the heat treat operation during manufacture. The race was soft and could
not carry the normal radial and thrust loads applied. The race deformed
and allowed more end play than normal causing cage interference and
subsequent failure.

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150

Anti-friction bearings
- Support and
maintain alignment
- Carry radial and
axial loads
- Subjected to cyclic
loads
- May fail prematurely
- Require careful
analysis to find root
cause of failure
- Manufacturing
problems are rare
- Perform all of the
steps of Applied
Failure Analysis

CONCLUSION
This concludes the anti-friction bearing module. The functions of
bearings are to support and maintain alignment of shafts and to carry
radial and/or axial loads. As such, races and rolling elements are
subjected to constant cyclic loads. If oil film is not adequate either due to
high loads, low viscosity, or no lubrication, bearings can fail prematurely.
Getting all the facts when analyzing a bearing failure and to catch the
failure in its earliest possible stages is very important. Otherwise, damage
can be extensive and the root cause may be very difficult to find.
Be very careful in analyzing anti-friction bearing failures since many
different root causes can produce similar resultant damage.
Most bearing failures are not due to manufacturing problems because of
the high quality steel and control practices used in production.
After gathering facts and arriving at the most probable root cause,
remember to complete steps 6, 7, and 8 of the Eight Steps of Applied
Failure Analysis. These steps help "get the payoff" by communicating
with the responsible party, taking appropriate corrective action, and
performing follow-up visits to assure user satisfaction.

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SLIDE LIST
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.

Anti-Friction Bearings title slide

In This Presentation
Categories / Types
Nomenclature - Ball bearing
Nomenclature - Cylindrical roller bearing
Nomenclature - Tapered roller bearing
Functions
Loads
Single row ball bearing
Angular contact bearing loading diagram
Split inner race bearing
Roller bearings
Needle bearing
Drawn cup bearings
Tapered roller bearing
Double row tapered roller bearing load
diagram
Spherical roller bearing
Roller thrust bearing
Weld on bearing cage
Radial and angular contact ball bearing
stress areas
Cylindrical and tapered roller bearing stress
areas
Manufacture
Races
Tapered roller bearing race, etched cross
section shows case hardened surface
Roller, cold headed during manufacturing
Rollers, etched cross section shows case
hardened surface
Ball bearing and race, cross section of
through hardened elements
Removal and Installation
Anti-Friction Bearings
Caterpillar anti-friction bearings
informational booklet
Dirt / Debris, diagram of location and affect
on bearing
Bearing installation on shaft diagram,
correct method

33. Bearing installation on shaft diagram,

incorrect method
34. Drawn Cup Bearing Installation Tool
diagram
35. Thermostatically controlled bearing heater
36. LP blow torch drawing
37. Bearing freezer drawing
38. Bearing and parts alignment after assembly,
diagram
39. Fit
40. Tapered Roller Bearing Adjustment,
diagram
41. Tapered Roller Bearing Adjustment,
instructions
42. Lubricant
43. Operation / Normal Wear, load diagram
44. Rolling element, oil film and asperities
diagram
45. Ball, radial load with rotating inner ring
diagram
46. Ball, radial load with rotating outer ring
diagram
47. Ball, thrust load diagram
48. Ball, radial and thrust load diagram
49. Cylindrical, radial load diagram
50. Cylindrical roller bearing, view of rib and
roller ends
51. Tapered Roller, light load diagram
52. Tapered Roller, heavy load diagram
53. Tapered roller bearing, large end of rollers
54. Tapered roller bearing outer race, normal
wear pattern
55. Crowned roller bearing, wear pattern
centered on roller surface
56. Crowned roller bearing outer race, light
wear pattern centered on race wear surface
57. Back of outer race, normal appearance
58. Angled view of outer race, normal
appearance with no wear
59. Damage Due to Abnormal Conditions,
contact stress fatigue

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SLIDE LIST
60. Key Points
61. Magnetic strainer, heavily contaminated
with metal debris
62. Rolling Contact Stress Fatigue, roller
diagram
63. Contact Stress Fatigue, list of reasons
64. Tapered Roller Bearing - Too Loose
65. Tapered roller bearing cup, spalling in the
load zone
66. Tapered roller bearing cone, small end of
rollers shows heavy contact and spalling
67. Tapered Roller Bearing - Too Tight
68. Tapered roller bearing cup, spalling across
entire wear surface
69. Tapered roller bearing cone, even spall
pattern on roller and inner race
70. Shaft Too Big or Housing Too Small
71. Out of Round, diagram and road signs
72. Tapered roller bearing race, wear pattern
from heavy contact of tapered bore
73. Tapered roller bearing cup, wandering wear
pattern
74. Tapered roller bearing inner race, race is
spalled and fatigue cracking
75. Damage Due to Abnormal Conditions,
plastic yielding
76. Differential pinion shaft with inner bearing
race, temper colors without cooked on oil
77. Tapered roller bearing cage and rollers,
severe temper colors and plastic yielding
78. Closer view of rollers in slide #77, plastic
yielding and evidence of skewing
79. Tapered roller bearing cup from bearing in
slide #77, temper colors, adhesive wear and
deposits from melted cage
80. Tapered roller bearing cup, temper colors
indicate high temperature operation
81. Cleaning Overheated Bearings
82. Pinion shaft and bearing, "hot, dry look"

83. Closer view of rear pinion shaft bearing,

road signs of heat and misalignment
84. Rollers from the bearing in slide #83, road
signs of heat and misalignment
85. Other Factors - Plastic Yielding
86. Spherical roller bearing outer race,
roughness and axial cracking
87. Tapered roller bearing cone, lipping at cage
windows without "hour glass" shape
88. Three bearing rollers, glazed appearance and
temper colors present
89. Deformed roller bearing rollers, 13
plastically deformed rollers
90. Tapered roller bearing outer race with four
deformed rollers, dark, cooked on oil
deposits
91. Possible Causes
92. Tapered roller bearing outer race, brinell
dents on raceway
93. Tapered roller bearing inner race, brinell
dents on top of existing wear pattern
94. Close view of tapered roller bearing inner
race, bruising and spalling present
95. Tapered roller bearing cup, bruising and
spalling present
96. Damage Due to Abnormal Conditions,
adhesive wear
97. Tapered roller bearing inner and outer
raceways, significant adhesive wear
98. Damage Due to Abnormal Conditions,
abrasive wear
99. Tapered roller bearing cup, considerable fine
abrasive wear
100. Extensive Contamination
101. Look at Other Parts
102. Determine Source
103. Damage Due to Abnormal Conditions,
corrosion
104. Ball bearing, heavily corroded
105. Tapered roller bearing cup, corrosion pits
and black acid etching

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SLIDE LIST
106. Tapered roller bearing cone, mating part of
slide #105 with corrosion on rollers
107. Damage Due to Abnormal Conditions,
fretting corrosion and creep
108. Tapered roller bearing cup O. D., fretting
corrosion
109. Tapered roller bearing cup O. D., evidence
of creep
110. Tapered roller bearing cup rib face, evidence
of creep
111. Creep - Possible Causes
112. Cylindrical roller bearing outer race, false
brinnell marks
113. Closer view of slide #112, grinder marks
missing in the bottom of dents
114. Electrical Pitting & Fluting
115. Close view of roller bearing elements,
pitting from arcing
116. Roller bearing raceway, large area of small
pits and fluting
117. Closer view of slide #116, pits and fluting
118. Damage Due to Abnormal Conditions,
handling and installation damage
119. Tapered roller bearing cone rib close-up,
impact damage to the rib
120. Tapered roller bearing cone, dented cage
121. Ball bearing, spinning with compressed air
122. Roller bearing outer race rib, brittle fractures
at snap ring groove
123. Tapered roller bearing cup, dent in outer
edge of race
124. Housing that held bearing in slide #123,
chisel damage in bearing bore
125. Tapered roller bearing cup, localized
spalling
126. Tapered roller bearing cup from slide # 125,
O. D. showing seating problems in bore
127. Tapered roller bearing cup, brinell marks in
localized area at small diameter of cup
128. Tapered roller bearing cup in slide # 127,
brinell marks 180 degrees opposite

129. Tapered roller bearing cup O. D., scuff

marks on one portion of circumference
130. Drawn cup bearing, indentations on cup lip
131. Drawn cup bearing, broken lips on each end
132. Drawn cup bearing, broken lip and three
needles removed
133. Tapered roller bearing cup, weld bead
134. Tapered roller bearing inner race, flame
torch cutting marks
135. Damage Due to Abnormal Conditions,
fractures
136. D3 winch parts, housing and parts of broken
bearings
137. Close view of gear, damaged teeth from
misalignment
138. Cylindrical roller bearing outer race, cage
and rollers still intact but the race is
fractured
139. Cylindrical roller bearing outer race, brittle
fracture at the snap ring groove
140. Cylindrical roller bearing outer race and
fractured roller
141. Cylindrical roller, fractured
142. Cylindrical rollers (9), worn and spalled
roller ends
143. Cylindrical roller close-up, fatigue fracture
on end
144. Winch housing, fractured
145. Closer view of fractured cast housing
146. Anti-Friction Bearing Problems
147. Ball bearing, inner and outer races with the
balls and broken cage
148. Ball bearing outer race and one ball, normal
appearance
149. Ball bearing inner race, plastic deformation
but no temper colors
150. In This Presentation

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Student Handout

Applied Failure Analysis Laboratory Worksheet

What do you see?

10

What does it mean?

Where do you go next?

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INSTRUCTOR NOTES

SESV8010
9/2000

Printed in U.S.A.