This paper presents a detailed model of bearing vibration, including the ef
fect of contact spring nonlinearity in balls-to-raceways' contacts. The mod
el incorporates the effect of surface waviness of rolling elements and off-
sized balls upon the dynamic internal radial clearance of the bearing. The
vibration forces and moments generated are formulated and the significant p
rincipal and secondary side-band contributions are highlighted. This model
is employed successfully in the recognition of complex real-time vibration
spectra of a precision routing spindle, obtained by accurate non-contact se
nsors. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.