ROOTCASTLE / ENGINEERING LAB
Mechanical looseness
Loose joints or bearing clearances can create nonlinear contact and impacts.
Mechanism
Loose joints or bearing clearances can create nonlinear contact and impacts.
Typical symptoms
Harmonics, impacts and variable phase may appear. Symptoms may change with load.
Measurement method
Inspect the waveform alongside the spectrum; compare foundation and bearing locations.
Alternative explanations
Rubbing, misalignment and sensor mounting errors can generate harmonics.
Additional measurements
Fastener torque, crack inspection, clearance checks and operating deflection shapes.
Likely frequency components
1×, 2×, 3× …; subharmonics possible
Limitations: without speed, load, mounting and transmission-path context, these examples are not diagnoses. Spectrum examples are conceptual, not complete fault models or field measurements.
SIMULATED · NOT LIVE TELEMETRY
Vibration / FFT
Model and assumptions
512 samples; deterministic sinusoids and seeded noise. FFT is one-sided peak amplitude, not RMS. Δf = fs/N. Hann coherent gain is corrected; spectral leakage can remain. The 4.7× component is not a physical bearing-fault model.
Educational model. Results are not sufficient to diagnose a machine or establish safe operating limits.
Further reading: SKF — Vibrations help find faulty components ↗