IMPROVEMENT OF RAILROAD ROLLER BEARING TEST PROCEDURES AND DEVELOPMENT OF ROLLER BEARING DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES. VOLUME I: ACCEPTANCE TEST

Bearing defect data from 8,000 railroad roller bearings are analyzed to determine their defect modes and defect rate distributions. Cone bore growth, brinelling, and fatigue are identified as the predominant defect modes during the first 12 years of the aging process. The results of the study show that after approximately two years of service, 10 percent of all railroad roller bearings exhibit a defect of one type or another for which at least one component would be condemned if it were in a rework shop. The present AFBMA method of calculating fatigue spalling, modified to account for lubricant film thickness effects, correlates reasonably well with the observed incidence of spalling (10 percent fatigue life of about 11 years). The problem lies in the fact that AFBMA calculation procedure does not consider the other competing defect modes which contribute far more to the overall defect rate than spalling. The relationship between defect rate and failure rate is not direct, of course, and an examination of condemning limit definitions relative to the progression of bearing failure in service is needed.

• Record URL:
  • https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/improvement-railroad-roller-bearing-test-procedures-and-development-roller-bearing
• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • See also Volume 2, PB83-107953.
• Corporate Authors:

  Shaker Research Corporation

  Northway 10 Executive Park
  Ballston Lake, NY  United States  12019

  Transportation Systems Center

  55 Broadway, Kendall Square
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02142

  Federal Railroad Administration

  Office of Research and Development, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Waldron, W D
  • McGrew, J M
  • Krauter, A I
• Publication Date: 1982-3

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: 246 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accelerated tests; Acceptance; Defects; Diagnostic tests; Fatigue (Mechanics); Journal bearings; Lubricants; Quality assurance; Railroad cars; Roller bearings; Testing
• Uncontrolled Terms: Acceptability; Diagnostics; Fatigue life
• Old TRIS Terms: Acceptable quality level; Taper roller bearings
• Subject Areas: Maintenance and Preservation; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00365644
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT-TSC-FRA-81-15-I Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DOT-TSC-917
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Nov 30 1983 12:00AM