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Failure Investigation

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There are often many possible reasons why engineering components fail in service, meaning that the cause and mechanisms of failure can only be determined with the right combination of analytical equipment and experienced engineers.

Whatever the nature of the failure, and however small or large the part, TWI has the capability and the experience to respond quickly and carry out a conclusive investigation into what went wrong.

There are often many possible reasons why engineering components fail in service, meaning that the cause and mechanisms of failure can only be determined with the right combination of analytical equipment and experienced engineers. As such, we can assemble a team of engineers tailored precisely to the nature of the material, application and service conditions, to identify the cause recommend appropriate steps to minimise the risk of a reoccurrence.

Our methodology

 

Over the last 60 years, TWI has conducted thousands of failure investigations for some of the world’s largest industrial companies. Every project is undertaken in strict confidence, often beginning with an on-site failure assessment before more thorough testing is carried out at one of TWI’s fully equipped facilities.

The failure analysis process often involves:

  • Interpretation of the failure location and service data, including on-site review
  • Examination of the parts to determine the failure mechanism(s)
  • Engineering root cause, including design, fabrication, transportation, installation and service
  • Simulation of the service conditions to establish critical parameters at which failure will occur
  • Definition of safe conditions for remaining intact components
  • Establishment of a non-destructive evaluation strategy for remaining components
  • Remedial advice for the avoidance of further failures, including design and fabrication reviews for replacement components and mitigation strategies for existing components.

As and when required, this process is supported by the application of related testing and analysis systems:

  • Bespoke or standard mechanical testing
  • Corrosion or aggressive environment testing
  • Chemical analysis, including hydrogen measurement
  • Fractrography
  • Metallography
  • Non-destructive testing
  • Advanced scanning electron microscopy

A full list of our testing and analysis systems can be found here.

Through the combination of the specialist expertise of its engineering team and its access to cutting-edge technology, TWI can provide the right information in the right time frame.

TWI has both the state-of-the-art facilities to carry out complex failure investigations and the expertise to interpret the results and offer the solutions to avoid further failures in the future.

 

For more information, please email contactus@twi.co.uk

For more information please email:


contactus@twi.co.uk