Failure Analysis - Lessons LearnedDr. Roch Shipley, Engineering Systems Inc.
The most important reason for analyzing failures is to prevent them from occurring in the future. This can only be achieved through an in depth approach which identifies the underlying or root cause.
From a materials engineering perspective, failure analysis can be focused on a specific mechanism (e.g. fatigue, hydrogen embrittlement, fretting, etc.) by which a given component separated, wore, or otherwise failed to meet expectations. However, a more comprehensive analysis will consider conformance to manufacturing specification and whether the intended service was anticipated, or should have been anticipated, by the designer. Government regulations may also apply.
The systems approach integrates all of these perspectives. Material properties are compared with the component's environment, especially the imposed stresses. Finite element and similar techniques may be required. Any material flaws discovered are compared with applicable specification. Fracture mechanics principles are used to determine if a flaw represents a defect.
These concepts will be illustrated with a variety of case histories from different industries.