Failure Analysis and Laboratory Investigation
As soon as a defect, failure, or malfunction appears, failure analysis targets the root cause of your nonconformities. FILAB deploys high-precision analytical solutions to remove technical uncertainty. Identify the origin of your failures to sustainably optimize your industrial processes and effectively prevent any recurrence.
Would you like to carry out a failure analysis on your materials, substances, or products?
How does a failure manifest itself?
L’analyse défaillance est une expertise visant à isoler l’origine d’une non-conformité sur un produit, un matériau ou un process. Intervenant dès l’apparition d’un défaut ou d’une panne, cette démarche identifie les causes profondes du dysfonctionnement pour en prévenir toute récurrence.
Part breakage and fracture surfaces
Presence of contamination or deposits
Adhesion defects or delamination
Corrosion and premature surface wear
Contamination, deposits, or changes in appearance (color, gloss)
Damage assessment / Failure assessment
FILAB failure analysis laboratory offers the following services:
Through tailored support and a progressive analytical approach, the FILAB laboratory supports you with the following services:
Failure: mechanical and structural behavior
Analyse de fissures, expertise de rupture soudure
Micrographic examination and chemical etching for metallic materials
Non-destructive testing by X-ray tomography
Failure: physico-chemical, thermal, and surface phenomena
Corrosion analysis (aggressive environments, oxidation, degradation)
Detection of pollution or residual deposits
Study of polymerization and cross-linking defects (varnishes, paints, polymers)
Thermal analysis by dilatometry (expansion, phase transition)
Morphological defects / appearance defects
Morphological defect analysis (porosity, roughness, surface structure)
Surface defect analysis (scratches, inclusions, heterogeneities)
Material defects / mechanical defects / R&D
Our technical resources for failure analysis
The FILAB laboratory provides manufacturers with a range of technical resources and a complementary state-of-the-art analytical platform depending on the failures to be characterized:
Failure Analysis Expertise for Your Industrial Sector
Failure analysis can be applied in many fields, such as mechanical engineering, materials engineering, aerospace, automotive, electronics, the oil and gas industry, and many others. It is used to understand failures in components, structures, or systems, and to improve reliability and safety in these fields.
Learn more about failure analysis at FILAB Laboratory
Failure analysis in the laboratory is a study designed to detect potential non-conformities in products or materials. Our laboratory carries out comprehensive testing to understand the reasons for the failure, whether physical, chemical, or mechanical.
FILAB Laboratory has expertise in cosmetics non-conformity analysis, and also provides support and R&D assistance regarding non-quality measurement.
Detecting failures in a material or product includes an on-site investigation step to understand the factors that contributed to the failure. Then, sampling makes it possible to carry out a more in-depth analysis in the laboratory.
The data collected during these steps will make it possible to determine the cause of the failure and propose recommendations to prevent it from happening again in the future. Our failure analysis experts use a variety of techniques such as microscopy, spectroscopy, radiography, and thermography to identify potential issues. Thanks to an effective failure detection method, it is possible to ensure product safety and reliability.
FAQ
To carry out a thorough failure analysis, our laboratory uses state-of-the-art tools tailored to each issue:
- Macroscopic and microscopic examinations: visual inspection and electron microscopy (SEM) to analyze fracture surfaces.
- Non-destructive testing (NDT): radiography, ultrasound, or magnetic particle inspection to detect internal defects without altering the component.
- Physicochemical analyses: mechanical testing or composition analysis to verify material compliance.
- Statistical analysis: data modeling to identify recurring issues or defect patterns.
Failure analysis can be applied in many fields, such as mechanical engineering, materials engineering, aerospace, automotive, electronics, the oil and gas industry, and many others. It is used to understand failures in components, structures, or systems, and to improve reliability and safety in these fields.
The general steps in the failure characterization process may include:
- Identifying and documenting the failure, including the circumstances surrounding the event.
- Visual and/or microscopic analysis to examine damage or defects.
- Non-destructive testing and laboratory testing to gather additional information on material properties and characteristics.
- Data and statistical analysis to identify contributing factors and failure patterns.
- Formulating conclusions and recommendations based on the analysis results.
- Communicating the findings to the relevant parties and implementing appropriate corrective actions.
A part failure and a breakage may seem similar, but there is a notable difference between the two. A part failure may refer to a malfunction, abnormal wear, a physical change in surface or shape, a performance anomaly, a manufacturing or design defect... Failure can also be an invisible issue that can cause serious damage after prolonged use.
Breakage can be more obvious and immediate, and occurs due to excessive stress from an impact, overload, for example, or normal wear of the material.
Thefailure analysis expertise is a strategic lever for product safety. By understanding precisely why and how a material failed, manufacturers can:
- Identify design or manufacturing errors.
- Correct unfavorable service conditions.
- Improve product reliability and service life (risk control).
- Ensure compliance and avoid costs associated with major non-compliance issues.
The general steps in the failure characterization process may include:
- Identifying and documenting the failure, including the circumstances surrounding the event.
- Visual and/or microscopic analysis to examine damage or defects.
- Non-destructive testing and laboratory testing to obtain additional information on material properties and characteristics.
- Data and statistical analysis to identify contributing factors and failure patterns.
- Formulating conclusions and recommendations based on the analysis results.
- Communicating the results to the relevant parties and implementing appropriate corrective actions.
A part failure and a breakage may seem similar, but there is a notable difference between the two. A part failure may refer to a malfunction, abnormal wear, a physical change in surface or shape, a performance anomaly, a manufacturing or design defect... Failure can also be an invisible issue that can cause serious damage after prolonged use.
Breakage can be more obvious and immediate, and occurs due to excessive stress from an impact, overload, for example, or normal wear of the material.
To go further
In the event of a complex failure analysis, FILAB carries out on-site audits. Our experts’ intervention in your production environment makes it possible to supplement laboratory data for a definitive interpretation of the causes of the defect.
FILAB supports you in the study and optimization of your materials. Through comparative reverse engineering, we help you validate a new source or develop a material specification that is more resistant to your operating constraints.
We train your teams in failure characterization techniques specific to your industry. FILAB also helps you implement reliable in-house analysis methods so you can respond more quickly when detecting your production defects.
Failure characterization, also known as failure analysis, is the process of identifying, analyzing, and describing defects or failures in a system, product, or material.
It involves understanding the root causes of failures and providing detailed information about their nature, extent, and consequences.
Failure characterization is important because it helps understand why a system, product, or material failed.
It can help identify design issues, manufacturing errors, unfavorable service conditions, or other factors that contribute to failures.
This information is essential for improving the reliability, service life, and safety of products and systems.
