Mechanical Engineering

Premature bearing damage can result from inadequate or incorrect lubrication, contamination, misalignment, improper mounting or fits, excessive or insufficient loading, vibration, elevated temperature, or fatigue. The condition and location of damage on the raceways, rolling elements, cages, seals, and adjacent components can provide clues about the failure mechanism. These findings may be compared with lubrication records, alignment, operating loads, temperatures, installation practices, and maintenance history to identify likely contributing factors.

Pressure loss in a pneumatic system can result from leaks, restricted filters, undersized tubing or piping, partially closed valves, regulator problems, excessive fittings, long flow paths, or demand that exceeds available system capacity. Pressure and flow measurements taken at different points in the system can help identify where the loss occurs. Component specifications and operating conditions can then be evaluated to determine whether the problem is associated with distribution losses, controls, leakage, or excessive demand.

Strain gage testing measures localized surface strain, or deformation, on a mechanical component. When the material behavior and loading conditions are known, strain measurements can be used to estimate stress and evaluate how loads are distributed during operation or testing. Sensor location and orientation, calibration, temperature effects, bonding quality, and the applied load case should all be considered when interpreting the results.