Metallurgical Services

A metallurgical failure analysis can provide clues to the origin of a metal failure, useful for the prevention of future failures and adjudications of legal disputes. Our experienced metallurgists can help crack even the most difficult metallurgical cases. Typical metal failure mechanisms include fatigue, corrosion, ductile fracture, brittle fracture, hydrogen embrittlement, metal creep, and stress corrosion cracking. A failure analysis will tell you which of these mechanisms, or combination of mechanisms, contributed to your failure.

We begin by documenting the failure in our photography studio and stereo microscopy areas. Our lab technicians then cross section or etch select samples for analysis by our metallurgists. This close up examination of the failure through optical and scanning electron microscopes provide insight into the mode of failure.

If needed, we employ our NDT, or mechanical test facilities to conduct additional study of the failure. Contact an expert today to help determine the root cause of your failure and get real answers to your material challenges.

Failure Analysis

Our experts will determine the root cause and provide corrective actions to prevent future failures. When a product fails, it is imperative to perform a thorough investigation. Our team of experts are leaders in determining root cause analysis for material failures. Our depth of materials experience and failure analysis lab allows us to evaluate failures from many different industries, determine manufacturing process problems, detect defects, provide contamination analysis, and evaluate environmental corrosion effects on products.

Failure analysis is the process of collecting and analyzing data to determine the cause of the failure. Root cause analysis often involves an organized series of tests across multidisciplinary areas. By offering a complete testing and failure analysis lab, PWTT can quickly solve even the most complex failures within one facility. Our laboratories include light and electron microscopy, mechanical and electrochemical testing, chemical characterization, NDT (nondestructive testing) and environmental testing. By determining the source of the failure, we can help to prevent future failures.