Avoiding component failure in the future

Damage to metal components and metallic materials can have a wide variety of causes and forms. These include, for example, thermal or mechanical stresses or corrosion. In order to avoid component failure and the associated loss of production, a comprehensive analysis is essential. This is where we are the right partner: We consider the entire environment from material selection to design and production. In our DIN EN ISO 9001 certified test laboratory, various methods are available for this purpose, such as examinations of the fracture surface, microstructure or hardness measurements. With our many years of experience, we will be happy to support you in clarifying the cause of the damage and advise you on measures to prevent damage.  

Detect and prevent metal damage

Failures in use and insufficient quality of components can have serious consequences. Our work therefore focuses on sound clarification and the prevention of damage. Through our many years of experience, we know how important it is to examine various factors such as component geometry, mechanical, thermal and corrosive stress on a material in their interaction. Depending on the task, the following methods are used for this purpose:

• Fracture surface examinations with the scanning electron microscope
• Examination of surfaces, coatings or corrosion coatings under the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and elemental analysis by means of energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX)
• Preparation of metallographic micrographs for the determination of the microstructure of metallic materials, the measurement of coating thicknesses on coatings and for the representation of geometry
• Hardness measurements and hardness progression according to Vickers
• Grain size determination and porosity determination by means of image analysis

From mechanical engineering to the food industry and medical technology: Failure analysis for a wide range of industries

Due to the overlapping cooperation with other areas of our institute such as materials testing, surface analysis and electrochemistry as well as paint and lacquer technology, we are able to clarify questions concerning a wide variety of finished components, also with regard to coatings of a metallic and non-metallic nature. Our results help you to refine the material development, design or production of your components. Our customers are mainly from the automotive, mechanical engineering, marine and food industries as well as medical and plant engineering. Of course, we can also serve other sectors.

Feel free to contact us if we can help you with your damage analysis. We will provide you with a non-binding offer to determine the solution to your problem and work with you to optimize your individual processes.