TERM

Abrasion

DEFINITION
A roughened area. Varying degrees of
abrasion can be described as light or heavy,
depending upon extent of reconditioning
required to restore surface. Usual cause is
presence of fine unwanted material between
moving surfaces.

Blending

An operation which removes an irregularity

from a surface and results in a shallow,
smooth depression.

Blister

Raised portion of surface caused by

separation of surface from base. Usually
found on plated or painted surfaces.
Associated with flaking or peeling. Usual
cause is imperfect bond aggravated by
presence of moisture, gas, heat or pressure.

Brinelling

Indentations sometimes found on the surface

of ball or roller bearing parts. Usual causes
are improper assembly or disassembly
technique, such as roller or ball bearings, by
application of force on the free race. Bearings
which do not have full, constant rotation and
are subject to sudden loading, have brinelling
tendencies.

Buckling

Large scale deformation from original shape

of a part, usually caused by pressure or
impact of a foreign object, unusual structural
stresses, excessive localized heating, or any

TERM

DEFINITION
combination of these.

Burning

Damage to parts by excessive heat.

Evidenced by characteristic discoloration or in
severe cases, by a loss or flow of material.
Usual causes are excessive heat due to lack
of lubrication, improper clearance, or
abnormal flame pattern.

Burnishing

Mechanical smoothing of a metal surface by

rubbing, not accompanied by removal of
material but sometimes by discoloration
around outer edges of area. Operational
burnishing is not detrimental if it covers
approximately the area carrying the load, and
if there is no evidence of pile-up or burning.
Usual cause is normal operation of parts.

Burr

A sharp projection or rough edge. Usual

causes are excessive wear, peening, or
machining operation.

Chipping

Breaking out of small pieces of metal which

have been removed mechanically. Do not
confuse with flaking. Usual cause is a
concentration of stress due to nicks,
scratches, inclusions, peening, or careless
handling of parts.

Corrosion

Breakdown of surface by chemical action.

Usual cause is presence of corrosion agents.

TERM

DEFINITION

Cracks

A partial fracture. Usual cause is excessive

stress due to sudden overloading, extension
of a nick or scratch, or overheating.

Dent

Small, smoothly rounded hollow in the

surface. Usual causes are concentrated
overloading resulting from peening, or
presence of chips between loaded surfaces,
or the striking of a part.

Distortion

Extensive deformation of the original contour

of a part. (Refer to Dent and Peening). Usual
cause is impact of an unwanted object,
structural stresses, or excessive localized
heating.

Erosion

Carrying away of material by flow of hot

gases, grit, or chemicals. Usual causes are
flow of corroding liquids, hot gases, or dirtladen oil.

Flaking

Loose particles of metal on a surface or

evidence of removal of surface covering.

Frosting

An initial stage of scoring caused by

irregularities or high points of metal welding
together. Minute particles of metal transfer to
the mating surface, giving a frosted
appearance.

TERM

DEFINITION

Galling

A transfer of metal from one surface to the

other of closely fitted surfaces causing
damage to both surfaces. Usual cause is
severe chafing or fretting action caused during
engine operation by a slight relative
movement of two surfaces under high contact
pressure. Do not confuse with scoring,
gouging or scuffing.

Gouging

Displacement of material from a surface by a

cutting or tearing action. Usual cause is
presence of a comparatively large foreign
unwanted body between moving parts.

Grooving

Smooth, rounded furrows (such as, tear

marks), whose sharp edges have been
polished off. Usual causes are concentrated
wear, abnormal relative motion of parts, or
parts out of alignment.

Staining, ranging from straw color (low

Heat
temperature effects) to purple (high
Discoloration temperature effects).
Inclusion

Unwanted material in metal. Surface

inclusions are indicated by dark spots or lines.
Usual cause is a discontinuity in the material.
Both surface inclusions and those near the
surface may be detected during magnetic
inspection by grouping of magnetic particles.

TERM

DEFINITION
Examination of a fatigue fracture may reveal
an inclusions at the focal point.

Coating by molten metal particles sprayed

Metallization through the engine.

Nick

A small sharp indentation caused by striking

part against another metal object. Usual
causes are carelessness in handling of parts
or tools before or during assembly, or sand or
fine unwanted particles in the engine during
operation.

Oxidation

The chemical reaction of oxygen with metal

producing discoloration of metal surfaces.

Peening

Deformation of surface. Usual cause is impact

of a foreign object such as occurs in repeated
blows of a hammer on part.

Pitting

Small, irregularly shaped cavities (usually

dark bottomed) in a surface from which
material has been removed by corrosion or
chipping. Corrosion pitting is usually
accompanied by a deposit formed by a
corrosive agent on base material. Usual
causes of corrosive pitting are breakdown of
surface by oxidation or some other chemical,
or by electrolytic action. Usual cause of
mechanical pitting is chipping of loaded
surfaces because of overloading or improper

TERM

DEFINITION
clearance, or presence of unwanted particles.

Rub

A condition of fretting or chafing, caused by

moving along a surface with pressure and
friction from another surface, which may result
in material removal.

Scoring

Multiple deep scratches made during engine

operation by sharp edges or unwanted
particles; elongated gouges. Usual cause is
presence of chips between loaded surfaces
that have relative motion.

Scratches

Narrow, shallow marks with a sharp bottom

caused by movement of a sharp object or
particles across a surface. Usual causes are
carelessness in handling of parts or tools
before or during assembly, or sand or fine
unwanted particles in the engine during
operation.

Scuffing

A dull or moderate wear of a surface resulting

from a slight amount of rubbing.

Seizure

A welding or binding of two adjacent surfaces,

preventing further movement.

Skidding

To slide without rotating.

Spalling

Sharply roughened area, usually in the form of

TERM

DEFINITION
irregular, sharp-edged pits with edge
conditions that indicate progressive chipping
or peeling of surface material. Do not confuse
with flaking. Usual causes are fatigue, surface
cracks, subsurface inclusions, or any similar
surface damage that causes a progressive
breaking away of surface under load. With
subsurface inclusions, the bottom of the pit
may be dark.

Stress-failure Metal failure due to compression forces,

tension, shear, torsion or shock.
Tear

Removal of metal by tensile stresses imposed

by a dull tool or too heavy a cut.

Unbalance

A condition created in a rotating body by an

unequal distribution of weight about its axis.
Usually results in vibration.

Wear

A condition resulting from a relatively slow

removal of parent material. Frequently not
visible to the unaided eye.