Bearing Fluting
here are many issues your electric motor might experience, but one of the most common is bearing fluting. Although not a dire problem if addressed promptly, it can affect your motor’s or application’s performance.
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How Is Bearing Fluting Caused?
Traditional motors and variable frequency drives that convert AC to DC voltage come equipped with a component referred to as an insulated gate bipolar transistor that makes switching between voltages more efficient. However, there is a downside to the increased efficiency that leads to bearing fluting. The fast-switching time between currents increases the common-mode voltage the motor shaft experiences, which is then eventually discharged through your motor bearings.
This electrical discharge leads to the grooved and frosted pits found in bearings known as bearing fluting. Although bearings are designed with lubrication to minimize the amount of fluting that occurs, even the best ones will eventually experience some fluting as the lubrication’s strength fails and extra energy discharges.
What Are Some Signs of Bearing Fluting?
Aside from the noticeable signs of bearing fluting, like the washboard-type grooves found in the bearing raceway, one of the most apparent signs of an issue is loud noises. If your motor is unusually noisy, your bearings could be caused by traveling over this damaged area. There can also be electrical damage caused by the discharges, although this is much harder to detect.
How Can I Prevent Bearing Fluting?
There are some steps you can take to minimize the damage caused by bearing fluting. These steps include using shielded cables, insulated bearings, grounding your motor’s shaft, or employing grease to conduct motor shaft currents to the ground. There are also shields and filters you can use to reduce the chances/effects of bearing fluting.
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