Failure Analysis
Single-source solutions for investigating the root cause of failure
Determining the product failure analysis of vital components and structures can be challenging for manufacturers and operators who lack the expertise and capabilities to correctly assess it. Hence, it will be difficult to prevent similar product failures in future.
Our expertise includes materials science and engineering, mechanical calculation, construction, process and system engineering, metallographic and chemical investigations, and electronics/ biochemical/ electrical/ acoustic/ surface analyses. We offer statements on the root cause of failure for rehabilitation, repair, prevention of future failure and solutions to interdisciplinary problems. Our services also reduce costs associated with unexpected shutdowns.
Our Services
Materials-related evaluation
- TÜV SÜD offers materials expertise covering materials selection, evaluation on conditions of important devices, comparison of different processes, corrosion evaluation and protection, and weld quality evaluation.
- Our experts also provide risk assessment for special failure mechanisms such as hydrogen embrittlement, stress corrosion cracking, pitting corrosion and degradation of polymeric materials.
Troubleshooting
We provide troubleshooting services for industrial processes such as:
- Plating processes
- Heat treatment processes
- Injection moulding processes
- Casting, forging and stamping processes
- Soldering, brazing and welding processes
- Assembling processes
- Electrical discharge machining (EDM) processes
Evaluation (metallurgical and mechanical-technological)
- Our evaluation services include metallurgical tests such as PCB cross-sectional examination, SEM/EDX examination on coatings, metallographic examination, particle size distribution testing, X-ray radiography, X-ray CT, airworthiness welding qualification testing (AWQT) and over-temperature testing for aerospace (HPT, HPC blades).
- We also provide mechanical-technological tests such as tensile tests, bending tests, impact tests and hardness tests.
Training
- TÜV SÜD offers training courses for failure analysis as well as corrosion engineering. Our experts also provide guest lectures on failure analysis at universities.
Investigated components and structures
- Power generation and supply: gas & steam turbine components, boilers, generator rotor shafts, boiler/waste heat boiler components, eco-components, electricity distribution station equipment, transformers, submarine power cables, switch gears, contactors, etc.
- Renewable energy: assembly group & components such as solar assembly, wind turbine main bearing & gearbox bearing, etc.
- Oil & gas: drilling equipment, offshore rigs, oil tankers, etc.
- Petrochemical: high-T & high-P devices, tanks, pipes, heat exchangers, etc.
- Real estate and infrastructure: crane booms, lifts, cable car systems, piling machines, tempered glass panels, gas/water pipes, etc.
- Rail: rails, conduction rail system, OCS system, power cables, message cables, train structure, etc.
- Aerospace: various aircraft engines, landing gear, engine starters, exhaust nozzles, engine mounts, helicopters, etc.
- Marine: various submarines/ships, hovercraft engines, propellers, gearboxes, port structures and equipment, ship-lifting systems, offshore structures, etc.
- Medical: stainless steel guide wire for heart operation, laryngeal mask, surgical implant, etc.
- Electronics: IC chips, MLC, Ta-capacitor, PCBA, wafers, thermal printers, etc.
Your Benefits
- Ensure availability and safety - through qualified inspections using modern inspection technology.
- Minimise risk - by identifying quality problems early on to reduce the risk of time-consuming and expensive rework as well as legal liabilities that lead to reputational damage.
- Benefit from an expert partnership - providing experience in failure analysis to support your projects.
- Draw upon global support - with TÜV SÜD’s strong international and regional presence, providing a high level of knowledge in most markets, backed up by local expertise.
- Protect your reputation - with technical support in legal disputes (including court cases) and identification of root causes of problems in product quality cases.