Development of Diagnostic Test Equipment for Inspecting Antifriction Bearings.

Abstract : Historical background summarizing the need for improved nondestructive inspection of antifriction bearings is presented. A state-of-the-art computer supervised semi-automated bearing inspection system is described which incorporates the magnetic perturbation method for surface and subsurface flaw detection and the Barkhausen noise method for assessing the state of stress in the active regions of the raceway. The capabilities and features of the inspection system are presented along with verification test data comparing results from a preliminary prototype uint and a prototype system. Other inspection data from used and refurbished bearing races are summarized. Metallurgical sectioning and endurance test results are included which verify the flaw detection capability of the system and establish the capability of the system to detect subsurface flaws which cause failure. Highlights of system development are also briefly summarized. (Author)