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Materials failure analysis is a tool for manufacturers to prevent failures and shutdowns.

CTL uses electron microscopes to complete materials failure analysis.

Most manufacturers are already familiar with materials failure analysis as a tool to help them understand why components fail. A materials failure analysis often is an early step in the root cause analysis of problems on the production line, nonconforming parts, and warranty claims. It Is also useful when qualifying new suppliers.

But many manufacturers lack the expertise or specialized equipment needed to do materials failure analysis in-house. CTL Engineering has the resources to help. By examining the failed component at our laboratory, performing appropriate tests, and gathering background Information from the client, CTL’s scientists and engineers can determine why the component failed.

Materials failure analysis for troubleshooting Problems and understanding liability.

Conventionally, manufacturers turn to materials failure analysis to understand what happened when a problem has already occurred. Often it is used to troubleshoot problems on the production line and to understand liability.

Troubleshooting problems

In a recent example, CTL helped one manufacturer prevent future shutdowns caused by a tow pin that fractured unexpectedly. The tow pin was part In an In-floor towline conveyor system. It connected a cart that carried parts through the production line to a moving chain in the floor. When the tow pin broke, the cart stopped moving, and the entire production line came to a halt.

After testing the hardness of the steel tow pin and examining Its microstructure with a microscope, CTL determined that the tow pin had softened due to heating while it was in service. Through discussions with the client, CTL learned that paint would build up on the tow pin as the cart passed through a paint spraying station on the production line. In the past, a torch had been used more than once to burn the paint off. CTL concluded that the heat from the torch had weakened the tow pin, causing It to break during normal use. By switching to a different method of removing paint buildup from the tow pin, the manufacturer expects to avoid shutdowns caused by similar tow pin failures in the future.

Understanding Liability

In another example, a manufacturer approached CTL to help them resolve a dispute they were having with one of their key suppliers. The supplier was responsible for applying a metallic coating to parts made by the manufacturer. The manufacturer found unsightly imperfections in the coatings on some of the parts. They wanted to know whether the imperfections were caused by how they fabricated the part or by how the supplier applied the coating to it.

CTL carefully dissected the parts and analyzed the Imperfections in the coatings using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). CTL also studied cross sections through the coating imperfections with an optical microscope. After our analysis, CTL concluded that the imperfections were caused by how the manufacturer fabricated the part. The manufacturer was able to come up with alternate ways of fabricating the part that were expected to avoid causing the Imperfections to form in the coating.

Material failures analysis For Qualifying new suppliers

Manufacturers also use materials failure analysis during the new supplier qualification process. The process often involves ordering a small number of components from the supplier and then testing them in the laboratory or, in some cases, on the production line. By carefully analyzing the components that failed the laboratory tests or that performed poorly on the production line, the manufacturer can decide whether to adopt the new supplier, ask the new supplier to Improve, or disqualify the new supplier. This can even be done for more than one potential new supplier of the same component, and the results can be used to select the best supplier.

Contact CTL to learn more about materials failure analysis.

Materials failure analysis is a valuable tool that can save manufacturers time and money, and CTL has the personnel, expertise, and equipment to do it right. Contact CTL to learn more about how our materials failure analysis team can work with you.

 

 

 

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