What is a typical symptom of a partially seized bearing in a motor drive?

What is a typical symptom of a partially seized bearing in a motor drive?

• A. Decreased efficiency
• B. No change in performance
• C. Excessive heat, noise, vibration, and reduced efficiency
• D. Increased speed only

Answer: (C)

Partially seized bearings create a lot more friction in a motor drive, so energy that should go into turning the shaft is wasted as heat. That extra friction also causes abnormal contact, which leads to audible noise and vibration, and the overall performance drops as efficiency falls. In other words, you’d expect to see excessive heat, noticeable noise, vibration, and reduced efficiency rather than just a single change. A decrease in efficiency alone doesn’t capture the accompanying heat and mechanical symptoms, while no change or a speed increase without other signs wouldn’t fit a bearing that’s starting to seize.

Partially seized bearings create a lot more friction in a motor drive, so energy that should go into turning the shaft is wasted as heat. That extra friction also causes abnormal contact, which leads to audible noise and vibration, and the overall performance drops as efficiency falls. In other words, you’d expect to see excessive heat, noticeable noise, vibration, and reduced efficiency rather than just a single change. A decrease in efficiency alone doesn’t capture the accompanying heat and mechanical symptoms, while no change or a speed increase without other signs wouldn’t fit a bearing that’s starting to seize.