Failure analysis in a laboratory
Would you like to carry out a failure analysis or study on your products and materials?
The different types of failure
When a product or material fails to perform its function correctly or presents a compliance problem, it is referred to as a failure. There are three types of failure: physical, chemical and mechanical.
Physical failure refers to problems with the appearance or shape of the product or material, such as cracks or breaks.
Mechanical failure refers to problems with mechanical performance, such as hardness or strength.
Chemical failure refers to chemical alterations that can cause the material to corrode or lose its properties.
Identifying these different types of failure is essential for improving product quality and avoiding safety problems.
How does a failure manifest itself?
A failure can take many forms:
Adhesion failure
Corrosion phenomenon
Presence of pollution or deposits
Odour problem
Dégradation prématurée
Colour change
These are all situations that will prompt manufacturers to seek expert advice on the cause of the failure, and then to look for solutions, with the support of a specialist laboratory.
What is laboratory failure characterization?
Failure characterization, also known as failure analysis, is the process of identifying, analyzing and describing defects or failures in a system, product or material. The aim is to understand the root causes of failures and to provide detailed information about their nature, extent and consequences.
Why is failure characterisation important?
Failure characterization is important because it helps to understand why a system, product or material has failed. This can help identify design problems, manufacturing errors, adverse service conditions or other factors that contribute to failures. This information is essential for improving the reliability, lifetime and safety of products and systems.
Our solution: to determine the nature and the causes of a defect with an expertise of the product in a laboratory
Our failure analysis services
FILAB provides you with tailored support and a progressive analytical approach to the following services:
Failure analysis and fractography
Characterization of surface defects: adhesive problems, residual pollutants identification (lubricants, cleaning residue…)
Study of morphological defects (porosity, rugosity…)
Microsection characterization
Weld inspection
Biocapacity expertise
Expertise of defects: corrosion, wear and tear, premature ageing, fissures, ruptures…
Characterization of defects in surface treatments
Galvanization thickness measurement
Pollutant deposit expertise
Our technical resources for analyzing a mechanical failure
The FILAB laboratory provides manufacturers with various technical resources and a range of complementary state-of-the-art analytical equipment depending on the failures to be characterised:
Field Effect Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with a microprobe (SEM-EDX analysis used for topographic and chemical surface characterization)
Gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer detector (GC-MS for the identification and quantification of organic molecules that can be chromatographed)
Plasma Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES - ICP-MS for elemental chemical analysis and pollution identification)
Failure analysis by industrial sector
Find out more about failure analysis in the FILAB laboratory
Carrying out a preliminary investigation to gather all the information needed to understand the failure and its context (nature of the materials, conditions under which the failure occurred and how it became apparent, etc.),
Assisting the customer in defining and, if necessary, implementing corrective actions, whether preventive or curative.
Implementation of a comprehensive assessment programme to check the conformity of the materials involved and to analyse the defect specifically in order to identify it and diagnose its origin,
Laboratory failure analysis is a study used to detect potential non-conformities in products or materials. Our laboratory sets up comprehensive tests to understand the reasons for the failure, whether physical, chemical or mechanical.
Laboratoire FILAB has expertise in the study of cosmetic non-conformities, and also offers R&D support in the measurement of non-quality.
Detecting failures in a material or product involves a stage of on-site investigations to understand the factors that have contributed to the failure. Samples are then taken for more in-depth laboratory analysis.
The data collected during these stages will help to determine the cause of the failure and to propose recommendations to prevent it happening again in the future. Our failure analysis experts use a variety of techniques such as microscopy, spectroscopy, radiography and thermography to identify potential problems. With an excellent failure detection method, product safety and reliability can be guaranteed.
With our 3 levels of services – analysis, expertise and R&D support – our laboratory supports industrial companies of all sizes and in all sectors in solving their industrial problems. FILAB provides the know-how and expertise of its team and offers you a privileged technical contact.
Further information
As part of a complex failure assessment, FILAB is able to offer an on-site audit, carried out by one of our experts, to better analyse the client's environment. This audit can be carried out before or after the analyses to complete an interpretation.
FILAB can help you draw up specifications that are better suited to your process. We can also offer you comparative deformations of materials to compare different sourcing methods.
FILAB can help you train your teams in a specific analytical technique and set up reliable analysis methods tailored to your needs.
FAQ
Commonly used methods for failure analysis include:
- Visual analysis and macroscopic examination to detect visible damage.
- Microscopic analysis, such as optical or electron microscopy, to examine defects on a finer scale.
- Non-destructive testing, such as ultrasound, X-rays and magnetic testing, to detect internal defects without damaging the material.
- Laboratory tests, such as mechanical or chemical tests, to assess the properties and characteristics of materials.
- Data analysis and statistics to identify trends and failure patterns.
Failure analysis can be applied in many fields, such as mechanical engineering, materials engineering, aerospace, automotive, electronics, oil and gas, and many others. It is used to understand failures in components, structures or systems, and to improve reliability and safety in these areas.
General steps in the failure characterisation process may include:
- Identification and documentation of 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.
Drawing conclusions and making recommendations based on the results of the analysis. - Communicating the results to the parties concerned and implementing the appropriate corrective measures.
The failure of a part and the phenomenon of breakage may seem similar, but there is a significant difference between the two. Part failure can refer to a malfunction, abnormal wear, a physical change in surface or shape, a performance anomaly, a manufacturing or design fault... Failure can also be an invisible problem that can cause serious damage after prolonged use.
Breakage can be more obvious and immediate, and occurs as a result of excessive stress due to impact, overloading for example, or normal wear and tear of the material.
To ensure the safety of their products, manufacturers must control risk by identifying, assessing and managing these risks. Failure analysis is a method of understanding why a material or product has failed and under what conditions. Failure analysis can help manufacturers improve the quality of their products by identifying defects and correcting them.
