A multi-body model of a mechanical transmission to simulate failures on bearings

The paper deals with a project aimed to improve the reliability of a condition monitoring system applied on gearboxes installed on rolling mills. In this context, to properly set up the algorithm, it is necessary to have measurements associated both to standard operating conditions and to malfunctioning. The latter, not being able to be experimentally generated, can be simulated by developing numerical models of the machine under varying conditions. The outputs generated, corresponding to different fault conditions associated with the main common failures of the elements that constitute the transmission, will provide a useful data base to tune the algorithm of condition monitoring.