Why solving the symptom won’t solve the problem, and what to do instead.

When machinery fails, time doesn’t just stop; it gets expensive.

Whether you’re running fixed plant in mining, managing a processing line in manufacturing, operating equipment in agriculture, or responsible for rotating equipment in a power station, one failed bearing can trigger unplanned shutdowns, delayed production, and a backlog of reactive maintenance.

But the real cost? Is repeating it.

Far too often, equipment gets repaired or replaced without anyone asking why it failed in the first place. Bearings and seals are replaced, and grease is reapplied. Just like that, the machine is back in operation until it fails again.
This is what we at DASH Engineering see as the industry autopilot: the cycle of accepting breakdowns as part of the job and falling back on quick fixes. But effective failure analysis can change that.

What Is Machine Failure Analysis and Why Is It So Often Misunderstood?

Most reliability and maintenance teams are aware of failure reports. But true failure analysis goes deeper — it investigates the systemic conditions that caused the failure in the first place.

At DASH Engineering, we’ve reviewed rotating equipment that had suffered the same repeated issues, as the root cause had never actually been addressed.

Some of the most common examples include:

·   Contamination ingress
·   Excessive greasing
·   Incorrect bearing selection
·   Environmental factors overlooked in OEM design

In one case, a client was replacing pulley bearings every six months. After a root cause analysis (RCA), we identified that grease filled labyrinths, whether ‘aligned’ or not, were ineffective in mitigating contamination as the true cause. Once resolved, bearing life was extended to beyond 3 years, and planned shutdowns became just that: planned.

The Link Between Root Cause Clarity and Reduced Downtime

·   Every repeated failure is lost time.
·   Lost time is lost output.
·   Lost output is lost revenue.

Bearing failure analysis, when done correctly, provides:

·   Clarity on what’s actually causing the breakdown
·   Recommendations that improve reliability, not just uptime
·   Opportunities for iterative step reliability improvements
·   Insight to prevent future issues, not just respond to them
·   Justification to update systems, not just replace parts

It also builds confidence across the business, from frontline operators to mine managers, that problems are being solved for good, not patched until the next shift.

What Effective Analysis Should Include

Not all failure reports are created equal. If your analysis stops at “bearing failed due to contamination,” that’s just a symptom, not a diagnosis.

A proper analysis, as completed by DASH Engineering, should include:

·   Disassembly and inspection
·   Forensic-level evidence captures (wear patterns, fracture surfaces, load direction, rolling surface damage, etc.)
·   Review of installation, application, and maintenance history
·   Engineering evaluation and design feedback
·   Clear, actionable recommendations, including sealing or design upgrades

Change the Question — Change the Outcome

Instead of asking, “How do we get this machine running again?”

Ask, “Why did it really fail, and what do we need to change so it doesn’t happen again?”
That’s how you move from maintenance to reliability.

Ready to Rethink Your Downtime Strategy?

If your team is stuck solving the same failures, we’d love to help.

Book a 20-minute reliability review with our engineers. We’ll listen, ask the right questions, and show you what’s possible when you stop accepting the myth and start engineering the fix. Visit: https://reliability.dashengineering.com.au or contact us directly at info@dashengineering.com.au