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Deep learning approaches are becoming increasingly important for the estimation of the Remaining Useful Life (RUL) of mechanical elements such as bearings. This paper proposes and evaluates a novel transfer learning-based approach for RUL estimations of different bearing types with small datasets and low sampling rates. The approach is based on an intermediate domain that abstracts features of the bearings based on their fault frequencies. The features are processed by convolutional layers. Finally, the RUL estimation is performed using a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network. The transfer learning relies on a fixed-feature extraction. This novel deep learning approach successfully uses data of a low-frequency range, which is a precondition to use low-cost sensors. It is validated against the IEEE PHM 2012 Data Challenge, where it outperforms the winning approach. The results show its suitability for low-frequency sensor data and for efficient and effective transfer learning between different bearing types.
The often-occurring short-term orders of manufactured products require a high machine availability. This requirement increases the importance of predictive maintenance solutions for bearings used in machines. There are, among others, hybrid solutions that rely on a physical model. For their usage, knowing the different degradation stages of bearings is essential. This research analyzes the underlying failure mechanisms of these stages theoretically and in a practical example of the well-known FEMTO dataset used for the IEEE PHM 2012 Data Challenge to provide this knowledge. In addition, it shows for which use cases the usage of low-frequency accelerometers is sufficient. The analysis provides that the degradation stages toward the end of the bearing life can also be detected with low-frequency accelerometers. Further, the importance of high-frequency accelerometers to detect bearing faults in early degradation stages is pointed out. These aspects have not been paid attention to by industry and research until now, despite providing a considerable cost-saving potential.