On precision machines, motors and other equipment with high environmental requirements, various suspended particles in the air can enter the working environment of self-aligning roller bearings and cause various hazards. Corrosive particles may wear out components, and conductive particles may interfere with the current of components. Once particles accumulate and clog the periphery of the self-aligning roller bearing, it will accelerate overheating. Obviously, choosing the correct IP protection level can alleviate this problem to a certain extent. In outdoor equipment or environments with average conditions, although the entire self-aligning roller bearing system has corresponding protection, it is also necessary to protect it as much as possible to avoid secondary damage from sand, gravel and dust. In addition, the outdoors is prone to dampness, and the moisture can erode the components of self-aligning roller bearings. When moisture mixes with particulate pollutants in the air, it is a fatal flaw to self-aligning roller bearings, further shortening the machine's lifespan.
The bearing is not running smoothly. Consider the cause of the bearing malfunction
Overheating is the main culprit for the failure of self-aligning roller bearings. This is mainly because the heating of self-aligning roller bearings is usually an alarm signal of abnormal machine operation. If not dealt with promptly, it will cause a chain reaction such as machine damage.
Common causes of overheating in self-aligning roller bearings include:
(1) Low precision of self-aligning roller bearings and improper selection: If the precision of self-aligning roller bearings does not meet the standard or there are differences in selection, the machine will not be able to meet the optimal operating conditions, which will directly cause the self-aligning roller bearings to overheat. Solution: Select self-aligning roller bearings with the precision grade specified by the official requirements.
(2) Large vibration, such as poor alignment of couplings that does not meet requirements, dynamic and static imbalance of rotors, poor rigidity of the foundation, loose anchor bolts, rotational stall and surge. Some rotors, during operation, may generate unbalanced centrifugal force due to corrosion by the medium, wear by solid impurities, or bending of the shaft. This can cause the self-aligning roller bearings to overheat, vibrate, and have severely worn raceways, eventually leading to their failure.
(3) Insufficient cooling Insufficient cooling is usually manifested as: clogged pipelines, inappropriate selection of coolers, poor cooling effect, etc. Scaling and blockage of the cooler in the lubrication pipeline will lead to a decline in cooling effect, especially during summer production. Severe scaling of the cooler and frequent alarms due to excessively high temperatures of the self-aligning roller bearings are common in many production sites. A relatively effective solution is to acid wash and descale the cooler before the beginning of summer each year.
(4) Improper installation Improper installation is another important reason for the overheating of self-aligning roller bearings. Because the correct installation of self-aligning roller bearings has a direct impact on their service life and the precision of the main machine, it is required that the centerline of the shaft and the self-aligning roller bearing hole must coincide during installation.
