Bearing Life Evaluation for Automotive Wheel Bearings Using Design of Experiments

Automotive wheel bearings have primary functions of translating the rotating motion of the wheels into linear vehicle motion while bearing the vehicle weight. Bearing life is affected by many parameters such as bearing geometry, vehicle and bearing technical specifications, driving conditions, lubrication conditions, material properties, and so on. In this paper, both the basic bearing rating life and modified bearing rating life were evaluated using design of experiments. Bearing lives were calculated by the international standard, and the factors affecting bearing life were investigated. Sequential experimental designs were applied. First, screening experiments were performed to analyze the factors affecting bearing life. Next, confirmation experiments were carried out to determine accurate effects of the selected factors from the screening experiments. As a result, contact angle and curvature of inner ring were significant at a 95% of significance level.