Bearing Scuffing Detection and Condition Monitoring Using Virtual Instrumentation

Diagnostic methods including bearing problems represent one of the most important challenges. The scuffing phenomenon initiation of the bearing elements produces an important increase in the vibration level and can be emphasized by the analysis of the bearing friction forces which are the most sensitive indicator of the bearing failure. Commonly used technique for damage detection is the vibration signature analysis that must be carefully utilized in conjunction with the friction torque monitoring through the strain gauges measurements. In order to detect the scuffing onset, the paper presents an experimental setup for the scuffing tests performed on a 7206 ball bearing. A virtual instrument monitoring the friction force respectively the braking torque was created. An accelerometer captures the signal from the bearing outer ring then it is processed using PCI-4451 National Instruments data acquisition board and LabVIEW soft.