How condition monitoring can help you detect anomalies in time and avoid bearing failures

Current solution

New solution

Continuous improvements

Early failures seldom depend on the bearing

The bathtub curve shows the typical life of bearings over time. If a bearing failure occurs, it often happens during the early part of their service life. This behaviour is called infant mortality and often depends on factors other than the bearing itself. Incorrect mounting is one common cause of failure at this stage.

It is essential to avoid failure during the useful life

After the infant mortality stage, the so-called useful life starts. Modern bearing technology usually offers a low, stable failure risk.

However, even in this phase bearing failure does happen, resulting in extremely costly unplanned stops. Avoiding these is usually one of the top priorities for our customers.

Higher risk of failure near the end of bearing service life

Failure risk increases again as bearings near the end of their calculated life. This phase is called the wear-out phase.

Constant work to improve the curve

SKF continuously work to reduce failure risk rates and extend the useful bearing service life. We push the entire bathtub curve downwards and move the wear-out phase further into the future.

Increase reliability and availability

A vibration-based condition monitoring solution increases reliability through early warnings so you can avoid unplanned stops. Knowing the condition of the bearings can also allow the extension of bearing maintenance intervals so you might harmonize service operations of assets and bearings.

Finally, delivery conditions, installation quality, and adjacent parts’ conditions also influence the risk of failure in the so-called infant mortality period. SKF field service options and training services for your maintenance staff also help you reduce this risk.