Is this a sign of bearing failure?

[GraClay]

I ramp only when the job requires it and have only had that option available to me for the last 10 years. For the 15 years prior to that I had NO way of ramping and rarely had a problem.
The first 15 years were all porter cable 3HP and the next ten years 3.8kw HSD.

[ssflyer]

There's been a lot of talk about the HSD spindles and plunging - supposedly, they are ok with it, but like Adrian, I ramp, anyway... Why not? Less stress, longer life.

[Leo]

When I talked to the people at CR Onsrud, they were not talking about plunging as in cutting a pocket on wood and plunging to the next depth. No that was not the discussion.

We were running the machine 8 hour shifts - 2 shifts - 5 days a week and sometimes 2 shifts on Saturday of 5 hours each. That's almost 50 hours a week. We were cutting aluminum 100% of the time and running 25,000 and 160 IPM. Not exactly hobby usage or 1-2 man 8 hour day, sign shop usage. We were blowing through those 25 hp spindles in 6 months time.

On my router at home - I will drill, and I will plunge when pocketing. I don't like drilling because the spindle RPM are too high for me.

Ramping is easier on the machine and I do ramp about 25% of the time - only because I simply don't think about setting the ramping the rest of the time. my bad

Ramp if you can --- but don't feel like you are destroying the machine if you don't ramp. Just don't think of the machine as though it's the same as a Metal Cutting Vertical Machining Center - which is designed for all things.