Surface Damage Due to Galling
T. F. Conry*
Caterpillar Inc.

Pin-bushing joints are a common mechanical component in machines that permit relative motion under a range of loading and sliding conditions. Under some conditions, severe surface damage can occur in the form of galling, which is a gross transfer of material under conditions of high local temperature and mixed lubrication conditions. An objective of this study is to correlate the operating parameters of a pin-bushing component with laboratory test data to develop an operational map showing regions where galling may occur. Concurrent with this, a study of boundary lubrication mechanisms in the concentrated contact will be undertaken to determine which mechanisms may lead to galling.