Abstract
This study investigates an evaluation method to analyze the rolling behavior in ball bearings by an ultrasonic technique. The analysis uses the time interval T_I, which is defined as the duration between the two adjacent minimum peaks of the ultrasonic wave pulse echo intensity, as an evaluation basis. Since T_I corresponds with the duration between one passing and the next passing of individual balls through the highest loading area in the bearing, its value can present the actual rolling behavior of the balls. This study proposes a reasonable manner to extract each value, rather than averaged one, of T_I and compares the values of T_I obtained by the proposed manner with the results provided by Fourier analysis of the changes in ultrasonic wave pulse echo intensity with time.
