ISO 15242-4:2017

Overview

ISO 15242-4:2017 - part of the ISO 15242 series - defines standardized measuring methods for vibration of single-row and double-row radial cylindrical roller bearings with cylindrical bore and outside surface. The standard specifies established measurement conditions, default rotational speeds, frequency bands, loading and lubrication conditions, and requirements for test fixtures and transducer placement to ensure repeatable vibration measurement results.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope: Vibration measurement methods for radial cylindrical roller bearings (single- and double-row) on test equipment under defined conditions.
• Default rotational frequencies: 1 800 min⁻¹ for bearings with outside diameter up to 100 mm, and 900 min⁻¹ for bearings larger than 100 mm up to 200 mm (other speeds may be agreed between manufacturer and customer).
• Measured quantity: Root mean square (RMS) vibration velocity, ν (µm/s), measured in the radial direction.
• Frequency bands: Default banding into Low (L), Medium (M) and High (H) ranges. Examples from the standard:
  • For 900 min⁻¹: L = 25–150 Hz; M = 150–900 Hz; H = 900–5 000 Hz.
  • For 1 800 min⁻¹: L = 50–300 Hz; M = 300–1 800 Hz; H = 1 800–10 000 Hz.
• Loading: Radial load magnitudes are specified by bearing outside diameter (default values given in the standard). For bearings that accept axial load, up to 30 N axial load may be applied to the outer ring to ensure stability.
• Lubrication and bearing condition:
  • Prelubricated bearings (greased/oiled/sealed) are measured in the as-delivered condition.
  • Non-prelubricated bearings must be cleaned and lubricated with fine filtered oil (kinematic viscosity typically 10–100 mm²/s) and given a running-in period.
• Test rig and transducer requirements: The spindle/mandrel must be sufficiently stiff; loading mechanisms must allow the ring to vibrate normally; transducer location, measurement direction and alignment of applied loads are specified to minimize test variability.
• Optional analyses: Time-domain detection of pulses/spikes (surface defects) and narrow-band spectral analysis as supplementary methods.

Applications and who uses it

• Bearing manufacturers - production acceptance testing and quality control.
• Test laboratories - comparative performance testing and diagnostic evaluation.
• Design and R&D teams - characterizing bearing vibration behavior for product development.
• Condition monitoring and vibration engineers - establishing baseline vibration signatures and interpreting bearing-related vibration in rotating machines. Practical benefits include repeatable, comparable vibration data for acceptance criteria, root-cause diagnosis, and noise reduction efforts.

Related standards

• ISO 15242-1:2015 (Fundamentals)
• ISO 1132-1 (Rolling bearings - Tolerances)
• ISO 2041 (Mechanical vibration vocabulary)
• ISO 5593 (Rolling bearings - Vocabulary)
• ISO 286-2 (GPS tolerances)

Keywords: ISO 15242-4:2017, rolling bearings, vibration measurement, radial cylindrical roller bearings, RMS vibration velocity, test conditions, frequency bands, bearing acceptance.