What defect detection is
Defect detection is identifying the faults of a machine or unit: which unit failed, what exactly is wrong with it, why, and what to do — repair, replace or keep under observation. Unlike an inspection, which records the general condition, defect detection goes down to a specific part and to a decision about it.
The result is written into the defect report — also called a defect act. The repair cost is calculated from it, the work order is drawn up and parts are ordered.
Inspection, diagnostics and defect detection
- Inspection — the external condition of the machine without stripping: leaks, damage, completeness, hours. Documented with an inspection act.
- Diagnostics — checking how systems work with instruments and a scanner: hydraulic pressure, error codes from electronic units, compression, vibration.
- Defect detection — the conclusion from the inspection, diagnostics and, if needed, stripping: what is faulty and what the repair requires.
In practice these are steps of one job: inspection at intake, then diagnostics, then defect detection — sometimes after partial stripping of the unit.
Who does it
Defect detection is done by someone who knows the equipment: a repair technician, a mechanic, a service engineer, and in large services a dedicated specialist. The result is signed by them and by the customer's representative; for internal repair, by the person responsible for the equipment, for example the site mechanic or the chief mechanic.
What the result must contain
For every defect the report must make four things clear:
- The unit — where the fault is: "boom hydraulic cylinder", not "hydraulics".
- What exactly — "scoring on the rod, leak at the seal", not "faulty".
- How urgent — critical, can wait, keep under observation.
- What to do — repair, replacement, adjustment, and which parts with article numbers.
A line you can neither price nor order from has to be rewritten — usually over the phone while the machine stands.
Photographs during defect detection
The law does not require them, but without photos a defect report weighs little in a dispute about warranty or repair cost. Shoot each defect close up plus a general view of the unit, and put the photo numbers into the report lines — or take the photos right inside the document.
How it looks in DefAct
In the app the defect report is filled at the machine, even offline: unit, defect, severity and recommendation with a photo on every line, parts from the directory with prices. The customer approves the PDF by link, and the work order and completion act for the same machine are made in the same app.
The blank for printing and a sample are on the page Defect report, and the detailed guide is in the article How to draw up a defect report.