Metal Failure Analysis and Investigation

A Failure Investigation report includes detailed explanations on the root cause and nature of failure, the tests carried out, and the data achieved from these tests.  

We ensure you can fully understand the results and know what action to take. We can help advise and make recommendations, so you have reliable solutions in place to avoid future failures. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

Fatigue failure in metals occurs when a material repeatedly experiences fluctuating stresses. This can create cracks that gradually grow until the metal breaks.

Mechanical 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. 

Failure Analysis is crucial across various industries to enhance safety, reliability and cost efficiency. Some key industries that use our services include: 

• Manufacturing 
• Construction & Infrastructure 
• Oil & Gas 
• Aerospace 
• Automotive & Transportation 
• Power Generation  
• Medical & Healthcare 
• Marine & Offshore 
• Consumer Products 

Metallurgical failure analysis involves investigating failed metal components to identify the reasons behind their failure. This process helps in understanding the failure mechanisms and implementing measures to prevent recurrence. 

We use a range of destructive testing methods to determine the root cause of metal failures. Our primary methods include: 

• Visual Inspection 
• Chemical Analysis (ICP-OES or Spark-OES) 
• Corrosion Testing 
• Fractography  
• Metallographic examinations 
• SEM/ EDX Analysis 
• Hardness Testing 
• Tensile and Impact Testing