ISO 15242-3:2017

Overview

ISO 15242-3:2017 specifies standardized measuring methods for vibration of rotating rolling bearings - specifically double‑row radial spherical roller bearings and single‑row / double‑row radial tapered roller bearings with cylindrical bore and outside surface (contact angle ≤ 45°). It defines the measurement process, required measurement quantities, frequency bands, loading and mounting conditions, and environmental and instrumentation requirements for reliable, repeatable vibration assessment.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Measured quantity: default is root‑mean‑square (RMS) vibration velocity ν (µm/s) in the radial direction.
• Default rotational speed: 900 min‑1 (± tolerance); test time ≥ 1 s at the default speed.
• Frequency bands (default for 900 min‑1):
  • Low band: ~25–150 Hz
  • Medium band: ~150–900 Hz
  • High band: ~900–5 000 Hz
• Axial loading: a constant external axial load is applied to the stationary ring. Default axial loads are specified by bearing outside diameter and contact angle (see standard’s Table 1). For double‑row bearings measure with axial load applied to each side; single‑row tapered bearings are measured only in their axial load acceptance direction.
• Lubrication / cleaning:
  • Prelubricated bearings measured as delivered.
  • Non‑prelubricated bearings must be cleaned and lubricated (recommended kinematic viscosity 10–100 mm2/s) and run‑in to distribute lubricant.
• Instrumentation & mounting:
  • Stiff spindle/mandrel to act as a rigid reference; transmission of vibration from spindle must be negligible in the test band.
  • Loading mechanism must allow normal bearing vibration modes.
  • External load alignment with the spindle axis is required (measurement method in Annex A).
• Additional analyses: time‑domain pulse/spike detection and narrow‑band spectral analysis may be used as supplementary diagnostics.
• Acceptance: for acceptance testing, the highest reading per band must be within mutually agreed limits between manufacturer and customer.

Applications and users

• Useful for bearing manufacturers (quality control and acceptance testing), test laboratories, and design/validation engineers verifying bearing vibration performance and noise potential.
• Applies where consistent, repeatable measurements are needed to compare production lots, diagnose surface defects (spikes/pulses), or screen bearings for low‑noise applications in motors, gearboxes, and rotating machinery.

Related standards

• ISO 15242‑1:2015 (Fundamentals)
• ISO 1132‑1, ISO 2041, ISO 5593 (terms and vibration vocabulary)
• ISO 286‑2 (tolerance system)

Keywords: ISO 15242-3:2017, rolling bearings, vibration measurement, spherical roller bearings, tapered roller bearings, RMS vibration velocity, frequency bands, bearing acceptance testing.