The Rolling Bearing as a Sensor

The integration of sensor technology is
becoming increasingly important in the
era of Industry 4.0 and poses challenges
for design engineers, particularly in
the case of limited installation space.
Therefore, various approaches are being
researched to integrate sensor functions
into machine elements. 

The rolling bearing has emerged as
the preferred source of process data for
parameterizing digital twins in order to
obtain high-quality data with comparatively
little effort. For example, conclusions
can be drawn about the operating
condition of thebearingby measuring
the electrical properties (Fig.7). Since
the lubricant film thickness and the
deformation in the contact depend on
the load, the electrical properties of
the rolling element raceway contact
change measurably as a function of the
load. The determined load data can be
used, for example, for process monitoring
or incorporated into a real-time service
life model that enables improved
estimation of the remaining life span.
In addition, a statement can be made
about the lubricant condition, which
exhibits altered electrical properties as aging progresses.
Further research and subsequent
market introduction of these approaches
have the potential to make
the benefits of Industry 4.0 easier and
more cost-effective to harness. Desig
engineers can resort to a familiar catalog
of machine elements and at the
same time integrate additional sensor
functions into the product.