Pideya Learning Academy

Root Cause Analysis of Bearing Failures

Upcoming Schedules

  • Live Online Training
  • Classroom Training

Date Venue Duration Fee (USD)
27 Jan - 31 Jan 2025 Live Online 5 Day 2750
10 Mar - 14 Mar 2025 Live Online 5 Day 2750
14 Apr - 18 Apr 2025 Live Online 5 Day 2750
30 Jun - 04 Jul 2025 Live Online 5 Day 2750
28 Jul - 01 Aug 2025 Live Online 5 Day 2750
04 Aug - 08 Aug 2025 Live Online 5 Day 2750
06 Oct - 10 Oct 2025 Live Online 5 Day 2750
15 Dec - 19 Dec 2025 Live Online 5 Day 2750

Course Overview

In today’s high-performance industrial environments, reliability and uptime are critical to operational success. Across sectors like oil and gas, power generation, petrochemicals, manufacturing, and utilities, rotating machinery forms the backbone of production and process infrastructure. At the core of these systems are bearings—components that, despite their size, have a massive impact on the overall functionality and efficiency of machines such as compressors, turbines, pumps, and motors. Yet, a significant number of bearing failures are recurrent and unresolved due to the lack of structured diagnostic approaches. Often, the response is simply replacing the failed part, missing the opportunity to understand and eliminate the root cause, which leads to repeated breakdowns, unexpected downtime, and high maintenance costs.
According to SKF’s global reliability report, around 50% of bearing failures are due to inadequate lubrication, while approximately 34% are attributed to contamination, improper handling, and misalignment. These alarming statistics illustrate the need for a shift from reactive to proactive maintenance strategies. As industries continue to invest in digitization and reliability-centered maintenance frameworks, adopting Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) has become imperative for sustainable performance improvement.
The Root Cause Analysis of Bearing Failures training program by Pideya Learning Academy has been meticulously developed to meet this growing industry demand. It provides a deep dive into failure modes, diagnostic tools, and structured investigation techniques essential for identifying and eliminating the true causes of bearing malfunctions. Participants will be introduced to modern maintenance philosophies and learn how to interpret failure symptoms—such as vibration patterns, overheating, and acoustic anomalies—using analytical tools and real-case insights. This course addresses the entire lifecycle of bearing operation, from installation and alignment to monitoring and performance optimization.
To ensure relevance across diverse industrial settings, this training incorporates technical case studies from real-world applications in rotating equipment such as turbines, motors, gearboxes, and pumps. Participants will explore structured approaches to failure analysis that consider factors such as mechanical fit, load distribution, lubrication integrity, and thermal impact. A significant emphasis is placed on vibration analysis, predictive maintenance frameworks, and diagnostic techniques for early detection.
Throughout the course, participants will gain technical proficiency and confidence in mitigating recurring problems, reducing maintenance budgets, and improving safety margins. The training is structured to support cross-functional roles—from engineers and technicians to reliability professionals—by offering a clear path toward root cause mastery and operational excellence.
Within this training journey, participants will benefit from:
Proven Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) techniques tailored for bearing systems
Diagnostic skills using vibration analysis and performance-based condition monitoring
Preventive strategies to counter misalignment, overheating, and friction-related failures
Implementation frameworks for predictive maintenance and reliability engineering
Industry-validated best practices for lubrication management and contamination control
Technical case studies highlighting real scenarios and resolutions across sectors
Systematic methods for analyzing mechanical noise, thermal stress, and dynamic imbalance
By integrating these highlights into the learning path, Pideya Learning Academy ensures each participant walks away with the ability to reduce unplanned shutdowns, increase the lifecycle of rotating assets, and contribute meaningfully to long-term equipment reliability goals. This SEO-optimized and industry-aligned course empowers professionals to move beyond temporary fixes and into a culture of continuous improvement and failure prevention.

Course Objectives

After completing this Pideya Learning Academy training, the participants will learn to:
Understand the fundamentals of root cause failure analysis and its application to bearing failures
Accurately define maintenance problems and generate viable solutions
Analyze different types of bearing failures such as noise, heat, vibration, and wear
Understand load distribution, mounting techniques, and mechanical fit of bearings
Identify failure triggers such as lubrication breakdowns, misalignment, and contamination
Apply predictive maintenance techniques to monitor bearing health
Interpret vibration signatures and apply them to condition monitoring programs
Improve troubleshooting skills using data-driven approaches and case-based learning
Develop a proactive maintenance culture that minimizes chronic failures

Personal Benefits

Enhanced ability to diagnose and address chronic bearing failures
Mastery of root cause analysis and predictive maintenance concepts
Improved technical expertise in handling rotating machinery systems
Recognition as a reliable problem-solver within the engineering and maintenance team
Career growth through specialized skills in equipment reliability engineering

Organisational Benefits

Reduced maintenance costs through early failure detection and prevention
Improved asset uptime and operational availability
Enhanced safety and compliance with industrial maintenance standards
Optimized lubrication and vibration monitoring practices
Greater efficiency in maintenance planning and spare parts management

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for:
Mechanical Engineers
Rotating Equipment Engineers
Reliability and Maintenance Engineers
Machine Technicians and Supervisors
Operations and Maintenance Managers
Condition Monitoring Specialists
It is especially relevant for professionals working in power plants, oil and gas facilities, desalination units, chemical plants, offshore installations, petrochemical industries, water pumping stations, and manufacturing environments where compressors, turbines, motors, blowers, or pumps are integral to operations.

Course Outline

Module 1: Fundamentals of Bearing Mechanics
Load distribution and stress handling in bearing applications Kinetic principles governing bearing functionality Axial vs radial load considerations Bearing clearance and preload fundamentals Bearing life calculation methodologies
Module 2: Classification and Engineering of Bearings
Rolling element bearings: ball, roller, needle, thrust Plain bearings: sleeve, journal, and hydrodynamic Specialized bearings: magnetic, ceramic, and hybrid Application-based selection criteria Advanced material technologies in bearing design
Module 3: Installation Techniques and Common Mounting Issues
Precision alignment and shaft fit tolerances Interference fit and thermal expansion effects Mounting tools and hydraulic methods Identifying and avoiding mounting-induced defects Impact of shaft surface condition on mounting integrity
Module 4: Operating Environment and External Stressors
Temperature fluctuations and thermal degradation Moisture ingress and corrosion patterns Abrasive wear from particulates and dust Effects of misalignment and mechanical stress Electrical erosion and stray current damage
Module 5: Lubrication Systems and Performance Impact
Lubrication regimes: boundary, mixed, and hydrodynamic Lubricant film thickness and viscosity grading Marginal lubrication and over-lubrication scenarios Grease vs oil lubrication strategies Lubricant contamination and degradation control
Module 6: Contamination Control and Environmental Challenges
Common contaminants: water, dust, metal debris Sealing systems and barriers Cleanroom standards for bearing environments Filtration technologies and maintenance Storage and handling best practices
Module 7: Bearing Condition Monitoring and Diagnostics
Vibration analysis and frequency spectrum interpretation Acoustic emission analysis Thermographic scanning for heat anomalies Ultrasonic inspection methods Establishing baseline conditions and thresholds
Module 8: Bearing Failure Modes and Diagnostic Indicators
Fatigue spalling and surface deformation Brinelling and false brinelling Wear patterns and pitting characteristics Fretting corrosion and smearing Identifying failure progression stages
Module 9: Root Cause Analysis and Diagnostic Frameworks
Fault tree analysis (FTA) for mechanical systems Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram applications 5 Whys technique for iterative questioning How-How logical breakdown for process tracing Sequential failure mapping and flowcharting
Module 10: Analytical Approach to Failed Bearings
Data acquisition and inspection techniques Failure surface interpretation using magnification Metallurgical and chemical analysis of bearing remnants Recording and categorizing observed failure types Statistical trends in repetitive failures
Module 11: Application-Specific Case Studies
Rotating equipment case: pump bearing breakdown Gearbox instability and bearing load path distortion Fan vibration and misalignment analysis Motor failure due to insulation breakdown and shaft currents Compressor journal bearing disintegration case
Module 12: Applied Vibration Analysis for Fault Prediction
FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) in bearing analysis Envelope detection for rolling element defects Spectral trending of bearing faults Sideband frequency analysis Real-time monitoring systems for rotating machines
Module 13: Maintenance Strategies and Reliability Engineering
Predictive vs preventive maintenance planning RCM (Reliability-Centered Maintenance) approach Criticality analysis for bearing-dependent assets Maintenance recordkeeping and failure trend logging Condition-based maintenance decision-making
Module 14: Troubleshooting Methodologies and Field Implementation
Structured problem-solving frameworks Multi-symptom diagnosis and cross-referencing Decision trees and logic-based fault identification Implementing corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) Developing technical troubleshooting checklists

Have Any Question?

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