After the bearing is installed, a series of inspections and maintenance work are required to ensure its normal operation and extend its service life. Here are some key steps:
1. Check the installation situation
Rotation test:
Small machinery: Test whether the rotation is smooth enough by manual rotation, and check whether there are any problems such as poor operation due to foreign objects, scratches, indentations, etc., or unstable torque caused by improper installation or lack of quality of the mounting base.
Large machinery: Cut off the power immediately after starting without load, and let the machinery idle. Check whether there is vibration, noise, contact of rotating parts, etc., and then enter power operation after confirming that there are no abnormalities.
Power running test:
Start from no-load low speed, slowly increase to the rated operation under the specified conditions, and check whether there are abnormal sounds, changes in bearing temperature, leakage and discoloration of lubricant, etc.
If any abnormality is found, the operation needs to be stopped immediately, the mechanical equipment must be inspected, and the bearings must be removed for inspection if necessary.
2. Temperature monitoring
The temperature of the bearing can generally be estimated based on the external temperature of the bearing seat. It is more accurate to use the oil hole to directly measure the temperature of the bearing outer ring.
The temperature of the bearing will gradually increase from the beginning of operation, and the temperature will stabilize after one to two hours. If the bearing is not installed properly, the temperature will rise rapidly and abnormally high temperatures will occur.
3. Lubrication management
Supply lubricant:
Lubricating oil: Under normal circumstances, there is no need to clean, but bearings used for instruments or high speeds need to be washed with clean oil to remove the anti-rust agent coated on the bearings.
Grease lubrication: directly fill with grease without cleaning. Bearings that have been filled with grease can be used directly without cleaning.
Regularly check and replace lubricants:
Check the status of the lubricant, such as color, texture, etc., to determine whether it needs to be replaced.
Change the lubricant regularly to avoid damage to the bearings due to aging or contamination of the lubricant.
4. Cleaning and maintenance
Regular cleaning: Use diesel or kerosene for cleaning to soak the bearings. If there are technical conditions, it is best to open the sealing cover for cleaning. After cleaning, drain the cleaning oil and conduct a visual inspection for damage.
Check the wear: Check the condition of the raceway surface, rolling surface and mating surface of the bearing, as well as the wear status of the cage, etc. for damage and abnormalities.
Replace bearings: If the bearings are found to be severely worn, loose, cracked, fragmented, peeled, jammed, rusted, indented, scratched, creeped, overheated and discolored, etc., they should be replaced with new bearings in time.
5. Environmental maintenance
Keep bearings and lubrication clean and avoid exposing bearings to contaminants or moisture.
Regularly check and replace oil seals and other wearing parts to prevent equipment shutdown due to oil seal damage.
To sum up, after the bearing is installed, a series of tasks such as rotation test, power operation test, temperature monitoring, lubrication management, cleaning and maintenance, and environmental maintenance are required to ensure the normal operation of the bearing and extend its service life.