Course Description
Format: In-person Course
Where: Charlotte, NC
Date: August 4-6, 2026
- Tuesday, August 4 – 8:00am-5:00pm ET
- Wednesday, August 5 – 8:00am-5:00pm ET
- Thursday, August 6 – 8:00am-5:00pm ET
Essential Concepts of Bearing Technology
This course is specially designed for engineers and others with technical backgrounds that have had limited exposure to rolling element bearings and need to adapt their technical training to bearings or seek an upgrade to their technical knowledge. The Essentials Course focuses on understanding basic internal geometry, tribology, bearing attributes and applications and explores the basic concepts around manufacturing methods, loads, internal load contacts, lubrication and failure.
You will earn 24 clock hours upon completion of the course and they will be listed on your certificate of completion.
Learning Objectives
- Basic understanding of the different types of rolling element bearings and their applications.
- Basic understanding bearing loading types and their sources.
- Understanding of the load distribution within bearings and resulting contact stresses.
- Understanding the types of internal stresses and bearing load ratings.
- Understanding of why bearings fail.
- Understanding of how lubricant films are developed in the rolling element contacts.
- Understanding of the importance of lubrication on bearing life.
- Basic understanding of bearing deflections and preload.
- Understanding of bearing life calculations used in standards.
- Introduce bearing materials and standards overview.
Who Should Attend
Those wanting to learn about rolling bearing technology beyond what is available in general catalogs. A basic understanding of mechanical principles, bearing terminology and bearing fundamentals required. Suggested attendees include new bearing application hires, bearing design, bearing users, customer technical support, sales and marketing management, manufacturing and quality control.
Registration Rates
Member Rates
Early Bird First Registrant – $2,350
(Deadline until 5/21/26)
Regular First Registrant – $2,450
(Deadline: 5/22/26 – 7/7/26)
Late First Registrant – $2,500
(Deadline: 7/8/26 – 7/21/26)
Additional Registrants per Company Member receive a $200 discount per person
NON-MEMBER RATE
Early Bird First Registrant – $2,650
(Deadline until 5/21/26)
Regular First Registrant – $2,750
(Deadline: 5/22/26 – 7/7/26)
Late First Registrant – $2,800
(Deadline: 7/8/26 – 7/21/26)
Additional Registrants per Company Non-Member receive a $200 discount per person
Location
Hotel Information
Embassy Suites by Charlotte Uptown
401 E M.L.K. Jr Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28202
You can book your room at the discounted rate of $179 per night. The hotel cut-off date is July 13, 2026.
Hotel Information
By booking in the MPMA room block, you receive a variety of benefits, including guaranteed accommodations, better networking opportunities with your peers, special guest status at the host hotel, and flexible cancellation terms if your plans change. MPMA advises against booking hotel rooms through third party booking sites such as Hotels.com, as there may be hidden fees, limited flexibility, and fewer rewards. MPMA does not work with a housing company and only MPMA Staff will reach out to you with details regarding the room block; any other companies that reach out to you regarding room reservations may be fraudulent and are not endorsed by MPMA. If you need assistance with your accommodations or have issues with the booking link provided by MPMA, please contact events@motionpower.org.
Instructors
Dan Snyder
Dan Snyder has over 50 years experience in the bearing field. He has extensive experience with the design, application, life and performance analysis, lubrication, testing and failure analysis of rolling element bearings.
Mr. Snyder was a registered professional engineer and the author of various technical publications and industry trade publication articles. He has worked on various ISO Working Groups for rolling bearings and currently is a member of the ABMA’s Technical Adversary Groups for ISO (TAG) and ANSI (B3).. He is also a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Society of Tribology and Lubrication Engineers.
Mr. Snyder has worked for the Timken Company and SKF USA Inc. and has had his own consulting business, Bearing and Lubes Consulting, LLC, since retiring from SKF as Director of Application Engineering. He has been an instructor and consultant for ABMA courses for several years.
Dr. Tim Ovaert
Dr. Tim Ovaert is currently a professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame. In addition to teaching mechanical engineering design, reliability engineering, and tribology, he conducts research on materials characterization, materials for tribological applications, and manufacturing.
Tim Ovaert received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois-Urbana and his Master of Engineering Management and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University. His industry experience includes serving as Plant Engineer at the DuraBar Division of Wells Manufacturing Company. Previously.
He has served as a technical consultant to more than twenty-five medium to Fortune 100 companies. He was named a National Young Investigator by the National Science Foundation, and is the recipient of the Ralph R. Teetor Award from the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the Burt L. Newkirk Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Ovaert has served as an associate editor for the ASME Trans., Journal of Tribology, and as the Chair of the ASME/STLE International Joint Tribology Conference. He is the author and/or co-author of over 120 technical publications, and is a Fellow of the ASME.
Lavern (Vern) D. Wedeven
Vern Wedeven is president of Wedeven Associates, Inc., Edgmont, PA a specialty, high tech, entrepreneurial company devoted to tribology research and development. He and his associates have developed specialized tribology test machines, test methodologies and analysis tools that link fundamental principles of tribology to service applications. Wedeven Associates Machine (WAM) technology provides tribology research capability for major bearing companies, military laboratories and research institutes. He is involved in major research projects and consulting that serve aerospace and other industries.
Vern Wedeven is a graduate of Calvin College (BS), University of Michigan (BSME) and Imperial College, London, Ph.D. Previous employment includes NASA Glenn Res Ctr., NASA Hdqts and SKF-America. He is the author of over seventy technical papers in the area of tribology and several chapters in reference books. He holds three patents and is the recipient of several awards from STLE, ASME and SAE.
Photo Release
From time to time MPMA uses photographs, survey answers and testimonial of MPMA events in its promotional materials. Unless this permission is revoked in writing to the MPMA, by virtue of your attendance all attendees agree to the use of their likeness in such materials.
Cancellation and Payment Policy
Please view our cancellation policy.
Please view our late registration policy.
Please view our code of conduct.