Failure Analysis of Products and Materials
At Lab Innovate Ltd., we understand that product and material failures can lead to significant disruptions, costly recalls, and reputational damage. Our comprehensive failure analysis services are designed to identify the root cause of these failures, provide actionable insights, and help you prevent recurrence. We combine advanced analytical techniques with deep materials science expertise to deliver precise and reliable results.
Why is Failure Analysis Crucial?
Understanding why a product or material failed is paramount for continuous improvement, ensuring safety, and maintaining quality. Whether it's a sudden fracture, unexpected corrosion, or a design flaw, pinpointing the exact cause allows you to:
Improve Product Design: Learn from past failures to create more robust and reliable designs.
Enhance Manufacturing Processes: Identify deficiencies in production that contribute to material degradation or product defects.
Ensure Regulatory Compliance: Meet industry standards and safety regulations by understanding and mitigating risks.
Reduce Costs: Prevent future failures, warranty claims, and potential litigation.
Support Legal Cases: Provide expert evidence in disputes related to product performance or material integrity.
Our Approach to Failure Analysis
Our multi-disciplinary team utilizes a systematic and thorough approach to failure analysis, drawing upon a wide array of specialized services listed in our capabilities. We don't just find the failure; we uncover its story
1- Initial Consultation and Sample Collection
Every analysis begins with a detailed discussion to understand the context of the failure, collect relevant operational data, and carefully acquire the failed component or material. This initial phase is crucial for guiding our investigation.
Our engineers meticulously inspect the failed component, documenting all visible features such as fracture surfaces, deformation patterns, corrosion sites, and surface anomalies. High-resolution photography and microscopy are used to capture critical details.
2- Visual Examination and Documentation
Our engineers meticulously inspect the failed component, documenting all visible features such as fracture surfaces, deformation patterns, corrosion sites, and surface anomalies. High-resolution photography and microscopy are used to capture critical details.
Relevant Lab Innovate Services: Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)
3. Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)
To understand the mechanical properties and behavior of the material leading up to failure, we conduct various destructive tests. This includes evaluating tensile strength, hardness, impact resistance, and fatigue properties.
Relevant Lab Innovate Services: Mechanical Testing, Destructive Testing, Long Term & Durability Testing
4- Destructive Testing & Mechanical Characterization
Material composition plays a critical role in performance. Our chemical analysis services identify the elemental composition, presence of contaminants, or deviations from specified material grades, which can be direct causes of failure.
Relevant Lab Innovate Services: Chemical Analysis
5- Chemical Analysis
Using advanced microscopy techniques, we examine the material's microstructure at high magnifications. This reveals grain structure, phase distribution, presence of inclusions, and other microscopic features that influence mechanical properties and failure mechanisms.
Relevant Lab Innovate Services: Physical Testing
6- Microstructural Examination
Analyzing the fracture surface provides invaluable clues about the failure mechanism (e.g., ductile overload, brittle fracture, fatigue, stress corrosion cracking). This is often performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to reveal fine details.
Relevant Lab Innovate Services: Physical Testing
7- Fracture Surface Analysis (Fractography)
Sometimes, the failure isn't just about the material, but how it was designed or manufactured. We can simulate manufacturing processes or review existing designs to identify potential weaknesses or stress concentrations.
Relevant Lab Innovate Services: Manufacturing Process Simulation, Finite Element Modelling (FEM), Design & Assembly
8- Manufacturing Process Simulation & Design Review
All findings, data, and conclusions are meticulously organized and presented in a comprehensive, clear, and actionable report. Our reports include detailed methodology, results, expert interpretations, and practical recommendations for preventing future failures.
Relevant Lab Innovate Services: Data Management & Reporting
9- Data Management & Reporting
Should your failure analysis lead to legal proceedings or require ongoing technical guidance, our experts are available to provide expert witness testimony or ongoing consultancy to help implement solutions.
Relevant Lab Innovate Services: Expert Witness Services, Consultancy
10- Expert Witness and Consultancy Services
Our expertise covers a broad spectrum of failure types across various industries, including:
Fracture: Brittle, ductile, fatigue, creep, hydrogen embrittlement.
Corrosion: General, pitting, crevice, galvanic, stress corrosion cracking (SCC), intergranular, erosion-corrosion.
Wear: Abrasive, adhesive, erosive, fretting.
Deformation: Yielding, buckling, distortion.
Environmental Degradation: UV degradation, thermal degradation, chemical attack.
Manufacturing Defects: Porosity, inclusions, welding flaws, improper heat treatment.
Design Flaws: Stress concentrations, inadequate material selection.
Common Failure Modes We Investigate
Partner with Lab Innovate for Reliable Insights
Don't let product failures hinder your progress. Lab Innovate Ltd. provides the clarity and solutions you need to understand and overcome material and product failures. Contact us today to discuss your specific failure analysis requirements.
