Based on AGMA 1010‐E95
Failure Appearance Area affected Severity
mode
1. Fretting Iron oxide powder is generated
as a result of fretting that has
the fineness and reddish‐brown
color of cocoa
2. Scuffing The scuffed areas appear to The damage typically occurs in Mild – if occurs only on small areas of the teeth and is confined to
have a rough or matte texture. the addendum, dedendum, or the peaks of the surface asperities.
Under magnification, the both, away from the operating
scuffed surface appears rough, pitch line, in narrow or broad Moderate – patches covering significant portion of the tooth
torn, and plastically deformed. bands that are oriented in the Severe – entire addendum , dedendum or both
Scuffing is not a fatigue direction of sliding. Scuffing
phenomenon and it may occur may occur in localized patches.
instantaneously.
3. Macropitting The edges of a pit are usually Initial Pitting – Non‐progressive Macropitting normally consists of
sharp and angular. Cracks may small pits less than 1 (one) mm in diameter. They occur in
be found near the boundary of localized areas and tend to redistribute the load by removing high
the pit and fatigue “beach asperities. When the load is more evenly distributed, the
marks” may be evident on the Macropitting stops.
crater bottom.
Progressive pitting – Progressive Macropitting normally consists
of pits significantly larger than 1 (one) mm in diameter. Pitting of
this type may continue at an increasing rate until a significant
portion of the tooth surface has pits of various shapes and sizes.
Flake pitting – Flake Macropitting consists of pits that are
relatively shallow but large in area. The fatigue crack extends from
an origin at the surface of the tooth in a fan shaped manner until
thin flakes of material break out and form a triangular crater.
Spalling – Spall Macropitting is progressive Macropitting that
occurs when pits coalesce and form irregular craters that cover a
significant area of the tooth surface.
4. Micropitting Micropitting gives the gear tooth a frosted, matte, or gray stained
appearance. Under magnification, the surface appears to be
covered by very fine pits (normally less than 20µm deep).
Metallurgical sections through the micro‐pits show fatigue cracks
that are inclined to the surface at an angle of less than 45 degrees.
The cracks may extend deeper than the visible micro pits.
Micropitting occurs most frequently on surface hardened gear
teeth although it may also occur on through hardened gear teeth.
It may occur anywhere on the active profile of the gear tooth.
5. Scaling Patchy raised areas on the Entire tooth flanks
tooth flanks
6. Abrasion Abrasion causes scratches or At the addendum and Mild‐fine scratches, no significant amount material removed
gouges on the tooth surface dedendum where sliding is Moderate‐remnants of the original machining marks are visible on
that are oriented in the present. the tooth surface.
direction of sliding.
Two major and most common groups of tooth surface failure modes can be distinguished based on the process nature and its initiation mechanism:
material adhesion (1‐2) and fatigue or overloading (3‐5).
# Failure Description
mode
1. Fretting Fretting corrosion occurs between contacting surfaces that are pressed together and subjected to cyclic, relative motion of
extremely small amplitude. Under these conditions, the lubricant is squeezed from between the surfaces permitting metal‐
to‐metal contact and causing adhesion of the surface asperities. The relative motion breaks the welded asperities and
generates iron oxide powder that has the fineness and reddish‐brown color of cocoa. The wear debris is hard and abrasive.
Fretting corrosion tends to be self‐aggravating because the wear debris builds a dam that prevents fresh lubricant from
reaching the contact area.
2. Scuffing Scuffing is severe adhesion that causes transfer of metal from one tooth surface to another due to welding and tearing. The
(scoring) scuffed areas appear to have a rough or matte texture. The damage typically occurs in the addendum, dedendum, or both,
away from the operating pitch line, in narrow or broad bands that are oriented in the direction of sliding. Scuffing may occur
in localized patches. Under magnification, the scuffed surface appears rough, torn, and plastically deformed. Scuffing is not a
fatigue phenomenon and it may occur instantaneously.
3. Macropitting Macropitting may occur when fatigue cracks initiate either at the surface of the gear tooth or at a shallow depth below the
surface. The crack usually propagates for a short distance in a direction roughly parallel to the tooth surface before turning or
branching to the surface. When the cracks have grown long enough to separate a piece of the surface material, a pit is
formed. The edges of a pit are usually sharp and angular. Cracks may be found near the boundary of the pit and fatigue
“beach marks” may be evident on the crater bottom.
4. Spalling Spall Macropitting is progressive Macropitting that occurs when pits coalesce and form irregular craters that cover a
significant area of the tooth surface.
5. Micropittiong Micropitting gives the gear tooth a frosted, matte, or gray stained appearance. Under magnification, the surface appears to
(frosting) be covered by very fine pits (normally less than 20µm deep). Metallurgical sections through the micro‐pits show fatigue
cracks that are inclined to the surface at an angle of less than 45 degrees. The cracks may extend deeper than the visible
micro pits. Micropitting occurs most frequently on surface hardened gear teeth although it may also occur on through
hardened gear teeth. It may occur anywhere on the active profile of the gear tooth.
6. Scaling The patchy raised areas on the tooth flanks are due to an oxidation process during heat treatment. When running under
load, the tooth force is initially transmitted by way of these projections which rapidly acquire a metallic sheen. This
phenomenon is known as scaling.
7. Cavitation Cavitation is the nucleation and implosion of bubbles in the lubricating fluid. This may cause damage in the gear tooth
surface which appears to the unaided eye to be rough and clean as if it were sandblasted. Microscopically, the craters caused
by cavitation are deep, rough, clean, and have a honey comb appearance.
8. Erosion Erosion is the loss of material from a gear tooth surface due to the relative motion of a high velocity fluid.
9. Electric An electric arc discharge across the oil film between mating gear teeth produces temperatures that may be high enough to
Discharge locally melt the gear tooth surface. Microscopically, the damage appears as small hemispherical craters. The edges of the
craters are smooth and they may be surrounded by burned or fused metal in the form of rounded particles that were once
molten. A metallurgical section taken transversely through the craters and acid etched may reveal austenitized and
rehardened areas in white, bordered by tempered areas in black. Sometimes microcracks are found near the craters.
