Case – Route measurement bearing damage

Observation during route measurements:

During a vibration measurement sudden damage was detected to the bearings of the fan.
The following was mentioned in the report:

Findings:

At the side of coupling of the fan, we detect sudden damage to the outer ring with 
additional wear marks on the number of revolutions.

We see a clear similarity to the outer ring frequency of bearing 2312. 

 Advice: 

 Replace the fan bearing at the side of the coupling. Priority: high.

 Observation damage:

We see a clear crumbling of one of the tracks on the outer ring.

That is also visible on the inner ring.

We can only see a clear wear mark (on inner and outer ring) on one track. There is no 
such wear mark at the side of the ‘withdrawal sleeve’.

The cause is most probably situated in the tension of the ‘withdrawal sleeve'.

Conclusion:

By replacing the bearing in time, one can avoid a sudden breakdown in production. Moreover, there will be no consequential damage and after replacing the bearing the fan will be fully serviceable. 

By noticing the problem in time, the total cost of an overhaul is dramatically reduced. The damage analysis also stresses the importance of extra attention during the next assembly, to avoid this problem in the future. 

This case teaches us that measurements while driving are a valuable supplement to the maintenance package.