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Failed Component Teardown Inspection Report Template

Every failed part is a free lesson if someone writes it down. This teardown report records what the component looked like, how it failed, whether the condition monitoring warning was right and what you changed, so the same failure does not return.

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Site or company

Asset and component

Work order number

Teardown date

Inspected by

Operating hours since installation

Condition monitoring warning before failure

Condition as found

Failure mode

Probable root cause

Corrective and preventive actions

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Failed Component Teardown Inspection Report Template

Failed Component Teardown Report

Site: Riverside Plastics Asset and component: EXT-02 Extruder gearbox, output shaft bearing Work order: WO-558214 Date: 2026-10-16 Inspected by: L. Haddad Operating hours: 14,200 hours

Prior Warning

Vibration envelope alarm raised 6 weeks before removal, ultrasound rise of 15 dB at last route.

Condition as Found

Outer race spalling over about 25% of the load zone, grease dark and dry, cage worn at one pocket.

Failure Mode

Lubrication starvation

Probable Root Cause

Re-lubrication interval exceeded after the PM task was merged into a longer cycle during a schedule rationalisation.

Corrective and Preventive Actions

Restore monthly lubrication task, add ultrasound check to route, review other merged PM tasks on the same line.

Evidence Checklist

Item	Collected (Y/N)	Reference or location
Photos before cleaning
Photos after cleaning
Lubricant sample
Part number and batch
Condition monitoring data

Approvals

Inspector / Date

Reliability engineer / Date

Maintenance manager / Date

Photograph parts before cleaning and keep the failed component until the investigation closes. Probable cause is a judgment, confirm it with operating history and, where the cost justifies it, a laboratory failure analysis. For serious or repeat failures use a full root cause method as well.

Capture failure history in your ERP

Optional review of how teardown findings could attach to equipment and failure codes.

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How to use the template

Complete the report when the component is removed, not weeks later. Start with the work order, asset and operating hours, then record the warning that existed before failure, the condition as found and the failure mode. Write a probable root cause and the actions that follow. Tick the evidence checklist, export to PDF and attach to the work order in your CMMS or ERP.

Failure modes to choose from

The list covers the common categories in rotating equipment. Fatigue spalling follows normal end of life or overload. Lubrication starvation shows heat discolouration and smeared surfaces. Contamination produces dents and abrasive wear. Misalignment or overload gives off-centre wear paths. Electrical fluting shows regular marks from currents passing through bearings, typical on drives. Installation damage often appears early in life. Choose the one that best fits and note any secondary modes in the condition field.

Closing the loop with condition monitoring

The warning field is what makes this template useful for a predictive program. Did the technique detect the fault, how early, and was the response timely? If the failure had no warning, record that too. Over a year these entries show which techniques and intervals work for your assets and which P-F intervals need rethinking.

Was the warning raised before removal and by how many days
Was the lead time enough to plan parts and labour
Did the diagnosis match the teardown finding

Common mistakes

Teams often clean the parts before photographing them, discard the failed component the same day, name the cause as simply bearing failure, or write actions with no owner. A cause that names the mechanism and the missing barrier, such as a lapsed lubrication task, leads to better fixes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a root cause analysis?

It is a teardown record that supports root cause analysis. It captures evidence and a probable cause. For major failures, follow it with a structured method such as 5 Whys, fault tree or a formal investigation.

Should I send parts to a lab?

Send them when the cost of the failure, safety risk or repeat nature justifies it. Keep the part, photograph it, and avoid cleaning surfaces that a lab will need to examine.

Can I use it for seals and gears?

Yes. Change the failure mode list to suit by editing the exported document. The structure of prior warning, condition, mode, cause and actions applies to any component.