Thermography (Infrared Inspection) for bearings
Thermography (Infrared Inspection) is one of the most effective ways to monitor bearings: it catches developing faults — inadequate or contaminated lubrication, spalling and pitting of races and rolling elements, fatigue cracking — early, so repairs are planned rather than forced by a breakdown.
Why thermography (infrared inspection) suits bearings
Bearings fail in a predictable sequence, and that sequence is visible in data long before the bearing seizes. Because a failed bearing usually takes the machine — and sometimes the shaft — with it, catching the early stages is one of the clearest wins in all of predictive maintenance.
How thermography (infrared inspection) works
An infrared camera images the heat radiated from surfaces, turning temperature differences into a picture. Because most developing mechanical and electrical faults generate abnormal heat, a thermal survey finds them without shutting equipment down — a hot connection, an overheating bearing, a stripe of missing insulation. It is widely used both for condition monitoring and for energy audits, where it quickly shows where heat is escaping.
Faults it catches on bearings
- Inadequate or contaminated lubrication
- Spalling and pitting of races and rolling elements
- Fatigue cracking
- Electrical fluting (from VFD-driven motors)
- Overload and misalignment damage
What the data shows
A localised hot spot on an electrical connection flags a loose or corroded joint; a hot bearing housing flags developing bearing failure or poor lubrication; a cold steam trap flags one failed closed; a warm patch on a vessel flags missing or wet insulation.
Thermography (Infrared Inspection) on bearings: implementation
What the signal looks like. A localised hot spot on an electrical connection flags a loose or corroded joint; a hot bearing housing flags developing bearing failure or poor lubrication; a cold steam trap flags one failed closed; a warm patch on a vessel flags missing or wet insulation.
How that reads on bearings specifically. Ultrasound and high-frequency envelope vibration rise first, while the bearing is still serviceable; defect frequencies then appear and grow; temperature rises late. The earlier you act, the cheaper and more planned the repair.
Where it is blind. Thermography (Infrared Inspection) does not cover every failure mode on bearings. The equipment profile also lists Vibration analysis (envelope/demodulation for early defects), Ultrasound for the very earliest lubrication and defect stages, Bearing temperature monitoring — they exist because they detect modes this technique cannot see.
Before you set a threshold. Baselining, alarm criteria and the route from alert to work order are the same problem for every technique. They are covered once in setting up a condition monitoring programme and in the thermography (infrared inspection) overview.
Thermography (Infrared Inspection) on other equipment
Thermography (Infrared Inspection) for electric motors · Thermography (Infrared Inspection) for steam traps · Thermography (Infrared Inspection) for heat exchangers · Thermography (Infrared Inspection) for conveyors
Other techniques on bearings
Vibration Analysis for bearings · Oil Analysis for bearings · Ultrasound Testing for bearings
Related
Predictive maintenance for bearings · Thermography (Infrared Inspection) overview · Thermography (Infrared Inspection)