Rotating Karma: Bearing Failures and the Physics of Neglect – LubeExpo Europe 2025

Description

Bearing failures are rarely accidents, they are the physical manifestation of earlier decisions, shortcuts, and oversights. Much like the concept of karma, where actions have inevitable consequences, mechanical systems store the legacy of maintenance choices in their wear patterns, lubrication condition, and vibration signatures. This paper examines the “physics of neglect” through real-world field data, forensic analysis, and an infusion of behavioral psychology. We show how improper fits, skipped alignments, mounting shortcuts, and ignored warnings lead to predictable and preventable failures. The goal is to equip practitioners with strategies to avoid accruing “mechanical karma” and to cultivate a friction-aware maintenance culture.