Abbrasive Adhesive Corrosive Erosion

Scratches Metal to metal contact Discoloration Fine impact

Secondary debris Polishing Oxidation/ scale buld up Abrasive damage

Visual Facts

Can result in adhesive wear Smearing Pitting in highly loaded areas Matte /dented appearance

Discoloration /Melting Wear all over the part Localized wear

Metal removed from weaker

part.
1. Hard particles inbetween Fastest progressing wear 1. Presence of acids - 1. Hard particles impacting
2 moving surfaces. chemical reaction. surfaces that are in moving
fluids or air.

Foreign particles: what is it? 1. Lack of lubrication or Check for conditions that Broken parts impacting
where is it from? How did it cooling or high loading. permit acids; wrong fuel, surfaces.
enter? When did it enter wrong oil, extended oil
(manufacturing, rebuild, change intervals, low
maintenance, repair)? coolant temperatures.
ributing factor/ look for

Shape of tracks tells us Check for system conditions 2. High temperatures, Foreign materials entering the
Sand: irregular, Steel/glas: that cause high where the hot metal is system and impacting
round tracks. temperatures or insufficiant exposed to air and oxidizes. surfaces.
lubrication.
Contributing factor/ look for

Good place to find debris: 2. Misalignment or high

Oil supply but no or low loading forcing oil out.
loading and embedded
particles in soft parts.

2. Also possible due to 1

surface being very rough
and scatching another
surface when they slide
against eachother (Like
sandpaper).

Check surface roughness.

 Cavitation Erosion Contact Stress Fatigue Fretting Corrosion
Pitting (localizd) Spalling of surface material Microwelding

Pitting Rolling or sliding (camshaft) Small surface irregularities

contact
Sparkling, crystal like pit in Sliding: fine surface cracks Corrosion
aluminium turning into surface pitting.

Localized wear Rolling: fatigue cracks Irregular patterns

between hard outer and
softer inner core.

1. Vapor bubbles impacting 1. Load to great (centered Two parts that are tight and
surface. wear). are allowed to vibrate against
eachother.

Dissolved gases in liquids, 2. Misalignment (offcentered 1. Check where the excessive

form bubbles of AIR in low wear). vibration is coming from if
pressure areas, when they get parts are supposed to be tight.
into the high pressure area
they implode, creating pits.

Abnormal system conditions 3. Inadequate/ wrong/ lack of 2. Reduced or increased

that introduce vapor bubbles: lubrication (normally also clearences/ misalignmnet of
These are formed when shows discoloration). parts in combination of
liquids reach their boiling vibration.
points, when fluids move
rapidly across cavities, when
parts move within a fluid
creating low pressure areas
(liner vibration), when static
system pressures are low
(radiator cap, high altitudes),
when inlet restrictions cause
fluid pump cavitation, leaks in
Abnormal system conditions
that introduce vapor bubbles:
These are formed when
liquids reach their boiling
points, when fluids move
rapidly across cavities, when
parts move within a fluid
creating low pressure areas 4. Time ( bearings end life).
(liner vibration), when static
system pressures are low
(radiator cap, high altitudes),
when inlet restrictions cause
fluid pump cavitation, leaks in
suction lines introduce air
bubbles, low fluid levels cause
fluid aeration.

No conditioners in cooling
system to keep bubbles away
from the metals.
 Abrasive Adhesive Corrosive
Scratching Smearing/melting - discoloration Oxidation - pitting

Cavitation Erosion Contact Stress Fatigue

Localized pitting Rolling Sliding

Fretting corrosion Erosion

Microwelding Localized denting
 Brittle fracture Ductile fracture Fatigue
Rough Rough Smooth
Sparkles Dark Silver gray color
Visual Facts

Chevrons Shear lip Beach marks

No deformation (or very little) Woody (flow lines) Ratchet marks
Plastic deformation Final fracture - rough, ductile or brittle

Single shock/impact load Single overload Cyclic stress

1. Part is impacted by something, look at
the chevrons to find initiation: for source
of impact or impact marks.
Contributing factor/ look for
1. Part is overloaded by something, look at 1. Overloading (initiation at normal stress
the shearlips (Final fracture) to find raiser, large final fracture area, few cycles).
initiation: for direction of loading to find
source of overloading.

2. Part could also be manufactured too
hard or wrong part (after market),
however it normally should never have
impact loads (depending on application).
2. Part could be manufactured too soft due
to improper heat treatment (case depth,
soft) or wrong part (after market), .or
design (more similar failures) or is
weakened due to high temperature, under
these circumstances the part will fail under
normal loading.
2. Initiation at abnormal stress raiser:
material flaw, precrack (subsurface
initiation), contour change (sharp fillet),
Surface damage/wear (pitting, dent other
wear).
3. Proper material strength: heat
discoloration, improper heat treatment
(case depth, soft), wrong part (after
market), surface finish, assembly and
operation.

4. Alignment, vibration or damage.

Direction of loading

1. Compression
2. Tension
3. Bending
4. Torsion
5. Shear