International Journal of Advances in Engineering Research http://www.ijaer.com (IJAER) 2012, Vol. No. 3, Issue No. V, May ISSN: 2231-5152 43 International Journal of Advances in Engineering Research EVALUATION OF ARCHARD AND KIRK’S LUBRICANT FILM THICKNESS FOR 6007 BALL BEARING Ritesh Kumar Dewangan 1 , Surendra Pal Singh Matharu 2 1 Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rungta College of Engineering & Technology, Raipur (C.G.) India - 492001 2 Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Raipur (C.G.) India - 492001 ABSTRACT Rolling element bearings are one of the most essential parts of rotating machinery. The condition monitoring of rolling element bearing is very critical. Rolling element bearings rely on the formation of a separating oil film between surfaces having relative motion for their smooth operation and long life. The main purpose of lubrication is to enhance working life of bearing by reducing the friction between balls and races. Absence of this lubricant film is one of the most common reasons for bearing failure. In the present work the lubricant film thickness is calculated for variety of lubricants based on formula proposed by Archard and Kirk. The developed formula can be used for online condition monitoring of rolling element bearings with very simple and inexpensive measuring instruments. Keywords: Lubricant film thickness, rolling element bearing, ball bearing, oil viscosity, condition monitoring, online condition monitoring. INTRODUCTION Lubrication of machine elements, such as gears or bearings, is essential for the proper functioning of a mechanical system. Separation of contacting elements is ensured by a lubricant film and helps avoiding metal-to-metal contact, which may otherwise damage the system and lead to its failure. Therefore estimation of the lubricant film thickness in such contacts is important and thus leads to a reliable design of the operating system. In the present work the film thickness is calculated for lubricants designated as A, B, C and D for ball bearing 6007 based on Archard and Kirk’s formula. METHOD The non-dimensional lubricant film thickness for ball bearing is proposed by Archard and Kirk’s [2], which is given by or