The term „bearing creep“ refers to irreversible relative movements in bearing seats. In general, two types of creep mechanisms can be distinguished: one rolling element-induced bearing creep and the other structure-induced bearing creep.
Rolling element-induced creep results from deformations of the bearing ring, where the outer bearing ring moves in the rotational direction of the rolling elements.
In contrast, structure-induced creep arises purely from housing deformations independent of bearing load, caused by external forces acting on the housing connection structure. In this case, the outer bearing ring moves in the opposite rotational direction of the rolling elements.
These phenomena can lead to wear and failure of the machine system, making it essential to account for and mitigate bearing creep during design and maintenance process.