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Introduction
Types of Bearing Wear
Causes of Bearing Wear
Symptoms and Diagnosis of Bearing Wear
Preventive Maintenance Measures
Role of Lubrication in Preventing Wear
DSBR Factory: Superior Bearing Manufacturing & Quality Control
Conclusion
Bearings are the backbone of nearly every industrial application, enabling smooth and efficient motion across machinery. However, like all mechanical components, bearings are subject to wear over time. Without proper maintenance or early detection, bearing wear can lead to machine failure, costly downtime, and even safety hazards.
This article offers a comprehensive guide to bearing wear, its types, causes, diagnosis, and most importantly, how to prevent early failure through proper maintenance and design practices. Whether you operate in mining, automotive, or heavy machinery sectors, understanding how wear happens—and how to combat it—is essential to extending equipment life and optimizing performance.
At DSBR, a leading Chinese bearing factory specializing in tapered roller bearings, double row angular contact ball bearings, and industrial-grade custom solutions, we understand the critical nature of bearing durability. Our products are manufactured using precision machining, heat-treated steel, and advanced sealing technologies to combat wear before it starts.
In the following sections, we’ll explore how bearing wear manifests, what warning signs to look for, and how to implement preventive strategies that can dramatically reduce repair costs and improve uptime.
To develop an effective maintenance strategy and improve equipment reliability, it's essential to understand the various types of bearing wear that occur during operation. Each type of wear has unique causes and visual symptoms, which can help with early detection and corrective action.
Abrasive wear occurs when hard particles or contaminants enter the bearing and cause grooves, scratches, or scoring on the raceways and rolling elements. It is often caused by dirty lubricants, inadequate sealing, or improper handling during installation.
Indicators:
Linear scratches along the rolling path
Increased noise and vibration
Surface dullness
DSBR’s Advantage: Our bearings are sealed with advanced multi-lip seals to block contaminants and are packaged with clean-room standards to prevent abrasive wear from the start.
This type of wear is caused by metal-to-metal contact when lubrication fails, resulting in localized welding and tearing of surfaces. It's common in high-speed applications or where misalignment occurs.
Indicators:
Smearing or torn metal on the contact surfaces
Abnormal operating temperature
Sharp increase in friction
DSBR’s Advantage: Our precision ground surfaces and optimized preload ensure minimal contact stress and smoother rotation under high loads.
Fatigue wear occurs due to repeated stress cycles leading to micro-cracks that develop into pits or flakes. This is typical in long-service bearings under heavy loads.
Indicators:
Flaking or pitting on raceways or rolling elements
Irregular noise and vibration
Gradual performance decline
DSBR’s Advantage: Heat-treated high carbon chromium steel and surface hardening (HRC 60–65) give DSBR bearings superior resistance to fatigue-related failure.
Corrosive wear is a result of chemical reactions, usually caused by exposure to moisture, acids, or incompatible lubricants. It weakens the surface structure and can lead to premature failure.
Indicators:
Rust, discoloration, or etching
Uneven surface damage
Reduction in load capacity
DSBR’s Advantage: With specialized anti-corrosion coatings and rust-resistant packaging, DSBR bearings maintain integrity even in humid or chemically active environments.
By identifying the type of wear, maintenance teams can better predict failures and take proactive steps to reduce downtime. In the next chapter, we’ll analyze the root causes of bearing wear and how to detect them early.
