Reduce risk and maintain compliance with our specialist risk management services.
We’re proud to be a leading provider of complete life cycle risk management solutions. From ensuring asset safety and legal compliance with our thorough engineering inspections to driving operational efficiency with our specialist non-destructive testing services, (and much more in between), we’re proud of the long-lasting partnerships we have formed with our customers over the last 160 years, based on the value of our solutions.
Failure Analysis and Investigation
Identify root causes of failure and strengthen product reliability
Our Failure Analysis and Investigation services uncover the causes behind product failure, looking at what went wrong and how to prevent future issues. As a trusted advisor, our team combines deep technical knowledge and advanced product failure testing to deliver clear, actionable insights you can trust.
Whether you’re facing a production setback, quality issue, or safety concern, we’re here to assist you. We’ll work with you to identify underlying factors contributing to failure and help you implement effective solutions.
Enhance product performance and prevent failure of metals with expert analysis
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What is Failure Analysis and Investigation?
If your products or components have failed, it’s important to understand why. Without proper investigation, the same issues could happen again. Not only is it costly to keep replacing products and components, but it can also risk the productivity and safety of your operations.
Failure Investigation helps to identify the root cause of failure and offers solutions to prevent future issues. Metal fatigue failure can happen for many reasons—including design flaws, material defects, or operational stresses—so it’s crucial to investigate thoroughly to find out what’s happening.
For example, failures of metals happen when a part is repeatedly stressed at weak points like sharp corners, causing cracks that eventually lead to fracture. Stress corrosion could occur when metals under pressure are exposed to corrosive environments, such as marine or industrial settings, leading to premature cracks. Or you might experience overload failures when components are pulled, twisted, or compressed beyond their limits, like crane chains or support structures.
Failure Analysis is crucial for understanding why machines or components fail, particularly in cases of injury or insurance claims. Through this advanced product testing, we trace failures back to their source, helping you improve safety and reliability.
What are the types of Failure Analysis and Investigation?
Failure testing is a type of Condition Monitoring which involves several specialised methods. Below are the types of Failure Analysis we offer:
- SEM and EDX Analysis: Uses advanced scanning techniques like electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray. This helps examine material surfaces and compositions in detail, such as medical drills. Few labs provide this level of analysis, making it one of our unique services.
- Fracture Analysis: Identifies fracture causes by studying cracks and break points in materials, helping to trace failure origins.
- Metallography: Examines the microstructure of metals to detect flaws or irregularities that may have contributed to failure.
- Corrosion Testing: Assesses how materials degrade in various environments, ensuring products can withstand corrosive conditions. For example, traffic bollards, petrochemical pipelines and safety critical bolting solutions.
- Hardness Testing: Measures material resistance to deformation or indentation, providing insight into its strength and durability.
- Tensile Testing: Evaluates how much force a material can handle before breaking, which is crucial for understanding load-bearing capacity. This is also an essential part of product safety. For example, push chairs must be able to handle weight and force during use to keep children safe.
Failure Analysis and Investigation Procedure
The goal of our Failure Investigations is to identify the exact causes behind a component or material failure. Our experts thoroughly analyse the microstructure, surface, and elemental composition to get to the bottom of the issue.
Initial assessment
First, we gather as much information as possible about the failed part’s history. We want to know:
- Material type and specification (if known)
- Processing technique
- Events leading up to the failure
To complete a thorough investigation, we also want to understand the operational and environmental factors that could affect the failed part. So, we might also ask for information about the following:
- Temperature, pressure, and humidity of the service environment
- Any exposure to chemicals or corrosion
- Mechanical loading and cyclic stress the part may have experienced
Failure testing
Our failure testing methods vary depending on the product or component we’re analysing. Whether it’s a mechanical part, a metal structure, or a specialised material, we tailor our approach to uncover the root causes of failure. This ensures you receive accurate, detailed results each time.
We conduct a range of Failure Analysis testing, including:
- Visual Inspection: Used to assess visible damage in machinery parts like gears, solar panels, or turbines, looking for signs of wear, cracks, or corrosion.
- SEM and EDX Analysis: Ideal for complex components like electronic circuits or aerospace materials, where microscopic surface defects and elemental composition are critical.
- Metallographic Examination: Commonly used in examining welded joints, water pipes, or automotive parts to understand heat treatment effects or material weaknesses.
- Hardness and Tensile Testing: Often applied to fasteners, structural supports, or crane chains to see if a material can handle the required loads without failing.
- Chemical Analysis: Ensures the proper composition of metals in environments such as chemical plants or refineries, where incorrect alloys can lead to premature failure.
Reporting and analysis
Once testing is complete, we’ll create a comprehensive Failure Analysis report and send it to you via email, including photos and analysis. We’ll guide you through the findings, explaining why the failure occurred and what it means for your production and quality process. Our clear explanations ensure you can fully understand the results and know what action to take. We can also help you implement recommendations, so you have reliable solutions in place to avoid future failures.
Benefits of Failure Analysis and Investigation
Failure Investigations are necessary to understand where things went wrong—and what you can do to stop it from happening again. At BES Group, our comprehensive Failure Analysis and Investigation services help you uncover unique insights into product failure, with expert advice on what to do next.
Improve safety
Drive safety in the workplace by identifying types of metal failure and mitigating risks before they can cause further issues.
Ensure legal compliance
Reduce the risk of legal action by detecting and addressing similar failures before they lead to accidents.
Streamline insurance claims
Gather the evidence you need to support insurance claims, with detailed feature and metal Failure Analysis.
Product innovation
Use insights from failure testing to enhance future product designs and minimise the chance of repeat failures.
Improve safety
Drive safety in the workplace by identifying types of metal failure and mitigating risks before they can cause further issues.
Ensure legal compliance
Reduce the risk of legal action by detecting and addressing similar failures before they lead to accidents.
Streamline insurance claims
Gather the evidence you need to support insurance claims, with detailed feature and metal Failure Analysis.
Product innovation
Use insights from failure testing to enhance future product designs and minimise the chance of repeat failures.
Failure Analysis and Investigation FAQs
What are the common causes of equipment failure?
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Failures can occur for many reasons. Material defects, design flaws, processing errors, environmental conditions, and operational stresses can all cause equipment to fail. These can often lead to fatigue, corrosion, brittle fracture, and material degradation.
How long does Failure Analysis take?
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The duration of a Failure Analysis varies depending on your needs. We’ll consider the complexity of the failure, resource availability, and extent of testing when organising your Failure Analysis. Not all investigations require full testing processes, so some can be completed within a few days. Others may take several weeks or months if they require more thorough investigations.
Once we’ve gathered all the information, our experts can tell you how long the investigation is likely to take. As always, we’ll aim to carry out our investigations with as little disruption to your operations as possible. To arrange expert Failure Analysis, get in touch with our team.
How can I request a Failure Investigation?
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If you need a Failure Investigation, get in touch with our experts via our contact form and we’ll be happy to help. Tell us about the details of the failure, including the circumstances, material specifications, and any relevant information or photos you have of the incident. We can then advise you on which types of Failure Analysis testing are needed.
What happens if I don’t conduct a Failure Investigation?
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If a Failure Investigation is not conducted after the failure of a product or component, several critical issues may arise:
- Non-compliance to standards: Without a thorough investigation, it’s difficult to know whether a product or component meets international standards, which could raise concerns about its quality and safety.
- Legal implications: If the failure results in accidents, you could face lawsuits. Not investigating the failure could result in non-compliance with regulatory requirements and leave you at risk of lawsuits or fines.
- Risk to other products: The root cause of the failure might be applicable to similar products or components. Without investigating, other products with the same issue may also fail, potentially causing further problems and increasing the risk to safety.
Failure Investigations help mitigate these risks by identifying the underlying issues, ensuring compliance with standards, and preventing future failures.
Can Failure Analysis be used for legal or insurance purposes?
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Yes, Failure Analysis can be used for legal or insurance purposes, especially in cases involving product liability, property damage, or personal injury claims. Failure Analysis can help provide supportive documents and evidence for your claim. If needed, our experts can provide testimony and evidence in legal proceedings to help with litigation or material failure claims.
What is fatigue failure in metals?
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Fatigue failure in metals occurs when a material repeatedly experiences fluctuating stresses. This can create cracks that gradually grow until the metal breaks. Failure Analysis helps identify fatigue failure by examining the fracture surface for fatigue features. It also involves assessing the metal’s stress history and pinpointing underlying issues such as design flaws or manufacturing defects. This thorough examination helps diagnose the problem, prevent future failures, and enhance component reliability.
Related Services
SEM & EDX Analysis
Fracture Analysis
Metallography
Corrosion Testing
Why Choose Us?
35,000 satisfied customers
We've built a strong reputation for providing exceptional service to over 35,000 satisfied customers from diverse industries. Our unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction has resulted in long-standing partnerships and unwavering trust.
800+ expert engineers
Our team of over 800 skilled engineers possesses a wealth of knowledge and expertise in a range of disciplines. Their deep understanding of your equipment and operating conditions ensures that they deliver proactive solutions that optimise asset performance and minimise downtime
A legacy of 160+ years of experience
With over 160 years of experience in the industry, we've witnessed the evolution of industry practices and have adapted our approach to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers. Our deep understanding of asset management, compliance and predictive technologies enables us to deliver cutting-edge solutions that drive operational excellence.
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