LABORATORY SERVICES
Failure analysis often requires both engineering calculation and physical testing to verify a given root cause. Symmetry has basic engineering tools in-house; however, when specialized testing and/or analysis are required Symmetry has long-standing relationships with leading, state-of-the-art laboratories (local and nationwide) that provide these services should they be required. As a one-stop shop, Symmetry can manage and coordinate this testing, providing the specialized test engineering often necessary in the pursuit of answers.
Mechanical Testing
Destructive mechanical testing is often required to quantify material/component performance. The most basic mechanical testing focuses on understanding the strength and ductility of a material/component. More advanced fatigue and fracture tests are also sometimes required to understand why a failure occurred. There is often a high degree of test engineering required in specifying and designing these tests to yield the information desired. Symmetry can provide both the high level test engineering needs to result in defendable, practical laboratory measurements and interpret physical measurements by weaving the results into the theory of failure.
Metallurgical Testing
Fracture surfaces (the broken pieces of a component) contain critical information that can tell why a component failed when subjected to metallurgical testing. Moreover metallurgical testing is required when macroscopic behavior/testing is not sufficient to indicate what occurred. For instance, if a material has insufficient strength, it is possible to perform laboratory measurements in the metallurgical lab to assess hardness and examine the underlying material microstructure. Often these measurements need to be highly localized in the compoent. This is often the case when weld failure occurs and the interaction and effect of the weld on the underlying base material is desired. Destructive metallurgical analysis can also provide insight into the weld processing methods utilized. Symmetry can coordinate this type of testing and provide interpretation to customers.
Advanced Non-Destructive Imaging
Sub-surface, non-destructive imaging of components can sometimes be required to augment and guide subsequent destructive methods or provide data if destructive testing is not allowed. Both x-ray imaging and CT scans are examples of useful, non-destructive imaging methods for providing this type of data. The technological developments of these types of imaging methods in the past two decades have been tremendous. Often this non-destructive imaging is of sufficient resolution that subsequent destructive testing is not necessary. Harnessing these tools for failure analysis can be particularly insightful for determining what occurred. These imaging methods have proven to be critical for a number of recent failure investigations. Symmetry can assist customers by working with contract labs to perform these types of assessments. Their non-destructive nature has proven of considerable value in the past.