3 Ways to Protect Bearings with Electric Motor Preventive Maintenance

Because bearings are some of the most important components within an electric motor, and a component that is at risk for failure, it is important to protect your bearings from a need for electric motor service. How do you do this? Here are three tips to consider:

1 – Maintain Optimal Loads

Obviously if you run your motor bearings beyond the recommended maximum load, you will eventually damage them. Either from the heat, or the lack of proper lubrication, the bearings will break down. But bearings also need to have a minimal load as well in order to make sure that the rolling elements rotate and form a lubricant film instead of skid. Skidding can also raise the operating temperature and lead to the breakdown of the lubricants. Maintain a minimum load so that your bearings are primed for those times when they need to perform at faster speeds.

2 – Limit the Impact of Moisture

Moisture is an ever-present problem within motors in operation. Although the heat from a running motor tends to cause moisture to evaporate, condensation often builds up after that same motor slows down, and that condensation may cause rust. Using lubricants with rust inhibitors can help, and so can maintaining excellent seals on the motors to help keep moisture due to humidity out.

3 – Prevent Electric Arching

This problem is not as common, but when it does occur it can melt and retemper a bearing’s surface which may wear some of the surface material away. This creates a microcrater. A microcrater becomes a weak point in the bearing surface that can degrade, leading to additional bearing noise and vibration. This accelerates the wear process and will eventually cause the bearing to fail. Using ceramic coated bearings or hybrid bearings in motors can insulate the bearing from damaging electrical arching.

Tekwell Services Provides Superior Electric Motor Preventative Maintenance Services

Whether we come out to your shop as part of a routine preventative maintenance service, or provide an early diagnosis on an underperforming motor through ultrasonic motor testing, Tekwell Services is your go-to vendor for electric motor preventative maintenance services. With locations in Knoxville, TN and near Atlanta, GA, we are conveniently located to provide service to you almost anywhere within the Southeastern United States. Call us at 1-800-829-7454 or fill out the simple online form on our Contact page or for more information.