Repeated plastic deformation as a cause of mechanical surface damage in fatigue, wear, fretting-fatigue, and rolling fatigue: A review

After studying statements bringing together essential features of the fatigue behaviour of metal structures in service, it is shown that the elementary phenomena of plastic deformation and fatigue crack propagation, which explain the fatigue behaviour of notched parts, also play an important role in other modes of damage of machinery parts. This is the case for mechanical surface damage under repeated bearing pressures in the absence of any apparent lateral sliding, for fretting-fatigue in which there is alternating lateral displacement of very low amplitude, and for false-brinelling marks in ball or roller bearings. It is also the case for unidirectional friction wear and for rolling damage, either with friction in gears or with very low friction in ball or roller bearings.