A bearing fault model for Independent Cart Conveyor System and its validation

Independent Cart Conveyor System is one of the most promising technology in automation industries. It combines the benefits of servo motors with the advantages of linear motors. It consists of a close path made up of modular linear motors having a curved or a straight shape that control a fleet of carts independently. Each cart is placed along the motors and it is connected, through rolling bearings, to a rail set on the motors themselves. The bearings are subject to wear and the condition monitoring of these elements is challenging for the non-stationary working conditions of variable load and variable speed profiles. This paper provides a bearing fault vibration model that takes into account the mechanical design of the cart, its motion profile, the shape of the conveyor path, the load variation and the type of fault on the rolling bearing.