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High temperatures cause bearing failure through multiple mechanisms: the steel loses hardness above 120–150 °C (through-hardened bearings), lubricant breaks down and oxidizes faster, thermal expansion reduces internal clearance leading to increased friction, and grease thickens or liquefies.

As a rule of thumb, every 15 °C rise above the rated temperature roughly halves bearing life.

Insulation class (per IEC 60034-1) defines the maximum allowable temperature for the winding insulation:

• Class A — 105 °C
• Class B — 130 °C
• Class F — 155 °C (most common)
• Class H — 180 °C

Every 10 °C above the limit roughly halves insulation life (Arrhenius rule).

Elevated temperatures cause seals to harden, lose elasticity, and develop cracks (compression set). Each elastomer has a characteristic maximum temperature above which degradation accelerates exponentially.

For example, NBR (nitrile) seals begin hardening rapidly above 100 °C, while FKM (Viton) remains flexible up to 200 °C. Running a seal at just 10–15 °C above its rated limit can reduce its service life by 50% or more.

Common methods include:

• Contact thermocouples or RTDs on the component surface
• Infrared (IR) thermometers for non-contact spot readings
• Thermal imaging cameras for full surface mapping
• Embedded temperature sensors (e.g., PT100 in motor windings)

For bearings, measure on the outer ring housing — actual raceway temperature is typically 10–20 °C higher.

For every 15 °C increase in bearing operating temperature above the recommended limit, bearing life is approximately halved.

Conversely, reducing operating temperature by 15 °C can roughly double bearing life. This makes temperature monitoring one of the most effective and cost-efficient predictive maintenance tools available.