What Is Break-in Wear?

Break-in wear is what happens during the initial uses of the brand new machine. The moving components wear against each other to make the final shape and size adjustment that will help settle them into a stable relationship for the rest of the machine's operating life.  This is an essential stage in the life of the machine that can greatly influence its performance throughout its lifespan.

There are many conflicting principles when it comes to breaking in new machines.  Most machines are recommended to be broken in under light operating loads but there are also experts that advocate breaking in under normal or heavy load. There is also the issue of what lubrication products to use. There are industrial grease and lubricating oil that are specially formulated for breaking in engines and other equipment that some experts recommend against.

An argument for starting light and slowly increasing the power or load is to not work the machine too hard which can result to excessive wear. On the other hand, those that recommend heavy load argue that it is the best way to set the components, like pistons and cylinders.

With regards to the lubricant, those that are against the use of break in products argue that the break-in process should exposed the machines to its normal operating conditions, of which the special lubricants are not used on.

Because of how all evidences are mainly anecdotal, it can be confusing to know which method of breaking in best. The safest bet is to follow whatever is instructed by the manufacturer with regards to the break-in process so that if something goes wrong, you're likely protected by warranty.

Bearings and Lubrication Failure

Bearings are precision machine components that are found in different kinds of applications. These machine components are usually very reliable even under the toughest operating conditions. Bearings have a substantial service life under normal operating conditions. The service life of the bearings are usually based on a period of time or number of rotations. Bearing failures of machines can greatly affect operations. The downtime and repairs can result to a lot of lost money. The cause of a bearing failure must be correctly identified. This is important to prevent future failures which can further increase the operation expense and negatively affecting productivity.

A premature bearing failure is usually caused by an issue that could have been avoided. The cause of failure can be determined by performing a visual examination of the bearing construction. Once the cause of failure has been identified, a solution can be enacted that will prevent the same problem from happening in the future.

Bearings rely on a lubricant to function properly. An industrial grease is used cover the rolling and sliding contact surfaces to prevent direct metal-to-metal contact. This facilitates smoother movement, prevents wear damage, and excessive heat generation.

One of the leading causes of bearing failures has to do with lubrication. A bearing failure can happen due to using the wrong kinds of lubricant, under greasing and over greasing, and contamination of grease by water or other kinds of lubricant.

The grease must have the viscosity suitable for the speed and the load that the bearing is exposed to. Industrial grease must be properly stored to prevent contamination. Lube technicians must be properly trained and able to perform calculations that will help them determine the exact amount of grease that is applied on the bearings.