Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
Scribd
Upload
11 views

Mod 1 Lecture 1

The document outlines the process of failure analysis, which investigates the causes of product failures to prevent future occurrences. It details the general steps involved, including collecting background information, conducting examinations, and utilizing various testing methods to assess the failed components. The final report should summarize potential causes, the sequence of events leading to failure, and recommendations for future prevention.

Uploaded by

Annamalai K
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
11 views

Mod 1 Lecture 1

The document outlines the process of failure analysis, which investigates the causes of product failures to prevent future occurrences. It details the general steps involved, including collecting background information, conducting examinations, and utilizing various testing methods to assess the failed components. The final report should summarize potential causes, the sequence of events leading to failure, and recommendations for future prevention.

Uploaded by

Annamalai K
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 14

BMEE322L Engg Failure analysis

Module 1
Failure Analysis

Failure analysis is an investigation carried out to


determine the cause of failure of a certain product
or equivalently the mistake in the continuous
process of engineering design-manufacturing-
peformance in order to prevent its recurrence in
the future
General steps of failure investigation
1. Collection of back ground information about failed components
2. Preliminary examination of failed components
3. Selection, preservation and cleaning of the sample
4. Assessing the presence of discontinuity and defect in failed component
by non-destructive testing
5. Evaluation of the mechanical properties of the failed components
6. Macroscopic observation of fracture surfaces
7. Microscopic examination of fracture surfaces
8. Metallographic examination of failed components
9. Establishing the fracture mechanism
10. Failure analysis using fracture mechanics approach
11. Conducting test under simulated conditions if required
12. Analysis of findings of investigation
13. Report
1 Collection of back ground information of failed components

- details of drawing, material, manufacturing process and process parameters, assembling


method used for obtaining the desired size and shape

Nature of manufacturing process

a) mechanical processes such as forging, forming, machining etc. wherein external


stresses are applied during manufacturing,
b) thermal processes such as welding, brazing, heat treatment etc. that are based
on the application of heat to control the structure and properties
c) chemical processes such as cleaning, electroplating, machining etc which use
mixture of chemical solutions for variety of purposes.

- collection of information about past service conditions

- information about loading and environmental conditions, duration of service,


temperature, maintenance plan
2 Preliminary examination of failed components

- observation of failed components, their fragments and position occupied them after
failure.

- Detailed photographic record showing the condition and location/position of the failed
components should be obtained.

Schematic diagrams can also be used to locations wherefrom photographs


have been taken for better representation of the failed components and
their fragments as per needs
3 Preservation, cutting and cleaning of the sample

Post-accident scenario, failed components are found in very bad condition of shape,
debris, impurities etc.

• The sample may be taken from the near fracture surface or significantly away
from the fracture zone keeping in mind collection of the evidence that would
help in establishing the sequence of events besides indicating the potential
causes of failure.
• Once decision is taken, next step would be to obtain the samples by
cutting from the failed component or assembly which can be done using
mechanical or thermal methods.
• Cleaning of the fractured specimen should be avoided as far as possible as
cleaning will remove the foreign matters like oxide, paints, chemical etc.
present on the fracture surface which can play an important role in
establishing the root cause and sequence of events prior to the failure.
• If required wet and dry cleaning with defined process to be done
• Sometimes plastic replica method is also used for cleaning fractured
surfaces.
4 Assessing the surface and sub-surface imperfections using NDT

To determine the possibility of the failure caused by presence few surface and
surface imperfections, non-destructive testing of fractured component especially
near the fracture surface

- Common non-destructive testing methods includes dye penetrant test


(DPT), magnetic particle test (MPT), eddy current test (ECT), ultrasonic test (UT),
radiographic test (RT) etc

5 Destructive test in failure analysis


- Destructive tests such as hardness, tensile, toughness, fracture toughness and
tests under simulated conditions

a) indentify / confirm the manufacturing process used for developed the


component under investigation
b) confirm if a particular heat treatment was performed properly.
6 Macroscopic observation of fracture surfaces

• Macroscopic observation of the fracture surfaces are generally carried out in range of
1-50 magnification with the help of lenses, stereoscope and optical microscope (with
external lighting) and now more commonly used system is scanning electron
microscope.

• Plastic replicas coated with gold layer of about 2000A can also be used for
macroscopic observation.

• A careful macroscopic examination can reveal important information on


stress state under which failure has taken place,
location wherefrom fracture had initiated,
direction of crack growth and
operational fracture mechanism during various stages of fracture.
6 Macroscopic observation of fracture surfaces

• Macroscopic observation of the fracture surfaces are generally carried out in range of
1-50 magnification with the help of lenses, stereoscope and optical microscope (with
external lighting) and now more commonly used system is scanning electron
microscope.

• Plastic replicas coated with gold layer of about 2000A can also be used for
macroscopic observation.

• A careful macroscopic examination can reveal important information on


stress state under which failure has taken place,
location wherefrom fracture had initiated,
direction of crack growth and
operational fracture mechanism during various stages of fracture.

• The surface morphology study could give leads to the failure


7 Microscopic observation of fracture surfaces

microscopic examination of the fracture surface helps to identify the operating micro-
mechanism of the fracture and is usually carried out using devices like transmission
electron microscope and scanning electron microscope.

The transmission electron microscope offers higher resolving power (up to 10°A) and
magnification (3 X 105) than the scanning electron microscope (up to 150 °A resolution
and 1 X 105 magnification).

Depending upon the type of materials and locating conditions, the fracture
surface may reveal variety of microscopic fracture mechanisms such as ductile
fracture – dimple Fracture , brittle fracture - cleavage fracture, inter-granular
fracture and fatigue fracture.
8 Metallographic examination of failed components

to assess the class of the material (for the presence of desirable or undesirable
features such as unfavorable orientation of grains,porosity etc.)

to get idea about the suitability of composition

to study the effect of service and aging conditions such as decarburization, excessive
grain growth etc. if any

to obtain the information about method of manufacturing and heat treatment


carried out the on the failed component

to determine the contribution of environmental effect on failure such as corrosion,


oxidation, work hardening etc.

to identify the microstructural constituents contributing to the crack


nucleation and propagation, if any
9 Establishing the fracture mechanism

Using observations and data collected in so far from above stages of investigation,
attempts are made to establish fracture mechanism and conditions which led to the
failure during service.

For this purpose, information collected from preliminary study of the failed component,
macro and microscopy examination of fracture surface, metallographic study of samples,
efforts should be made to establish the chain activities that have contributed to failure.

10 Failure analysis using fracture mechanics approach

In light of discontinuities if any found during investigation in failed component, fracture


toughness & yield strength of material involved in failure, efforts should be made to
analysis the situation using principle of fracture mechanics to establish that if
presence of discontinuities in material have contributed to failure of the component
under given service load conditions.
11 Conducting test under simulated conditions

Attempts can also be made to simulate the conditions under which a component has
failed to understand what might have led to the failure if investigators are unable to find
any logical reason for the failure of the component using normal investigation procedures
on materials, manufacturing and service related aspects.

12 Analysis of findings of investigation


Analysis of all the information, facts, technical observations collected through the
investigation is performed to establish the sequence of events that might have
led to failure of a component. This can provide us an insight on few potential
factors that have caused of failure of component.
13 Report writing with recommendation

The report of failure analysis of must include the following

Few most potential causes of failure

Sequence of events that have lead to failure

Recommendation to take suitable steps so as avoid recurrence of the same


kind of failure in future

You might also like