Metallurgical and Material Evaluations

Optimech is able to undertake comprehensive failure analysis and material testing. Our engineers are familiar with the equipment and processes used in power plants, refineries, pulp and paper mills, chemical plants and many other industrial facilities. By systematically identifying, defining, and understanding a failure, we can provide improved equipment reliability and safety for your facility.

Optimech has conducted many failure investigations and our considerable experience is available to assist you in making the correct decision. Our engineers and material specialists, backed by a comprehensive laboratory, can determine the root cause of the trouble and help recommend the best solution.

The purpose of undertaking failure analysis is to:

• Minimize outages caused by equipment failures
• Improve design and extend operating lives
• Correct characterization of equipment failures
• Determine the root cause and optimal solution
• Minimise risk to personnel

Every industry strives to minimize both the frequency and the duration of outages caused by equipment breakdown or failure. When a breakdown occurs, the actual cause of the failure may not be immediately apparent. A metallurgical assessment is necessary to determine how the repair should be undertaken or whether the component should be redesigned or replacement is the best option.

Correct diagnosis of the problem can lead to enhanced equipment life and more reliable operation.

Equipment failures raise a number of issues:

• Would investment in a higher grade component pay off
• Should the part be redesigned or simply replaced
• Is a cost-effective repair available and will it affect the structural integrity
• Will the repair be considered good-as-new or only a temporary solution
• Is the part fit for purpose or should it be redesigned
• Is the material selected optimised for the application or could another material be substituted which will reduce life cycle costs
• What affect has the operating environment had on the failure
• Was the heat treatment correct

Each choice carries risks associated with how correctly and completely the original problem is understood. Careful, accurate assessment of the failures are necessary before critical decisions can be made.

Optimech can identify the critical elements of the failure quickly, accurately, and efficiently. Our goal is to get your equipment back into safe operation as soon as possible without introducing new, unexpected risks that can come from hasty, unsupported conclusions. We are experienced in industrial and manufacturing environments, with a broad understanding of the operational implications of our recommendations.

This includes:

• Making informed repair or replace decisions
• Understanding the current equipment condition
• Predicting the component's remaining useful life

Optimech offers a complete suite of tests including mechanical testing, finite element modelling microstructural analysis and microstructure examination. An accurate assessment can provide important data to determine the equipment condition and it's remaining life. Samples are analyzed for metallurgical and manufacturing defects and internal and external surface discontinuities.

Determining the metallurgical condition of a damaged component can provide information on whether it needs repair, replacement or if it is suitable for continued service in its current condition. A thorough metallurgical assessment of components, combined with an understanding of the failure mechanisms will establish how much longer the component can provide reliable service. This information allows you to plan refurbishment or replacement prior to unexpected catastrophic failure or other damage.

We employ energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction to identify constituents in a sample. Scale and deposit analysis can determine the nature, sources and effects of the deposits.

When examining large components that cannot be easily moved, in-place metallography is used for micro-structural and crack evaluation. In-place metallography, combined with replication, allows us to examine a component's microstructure without removing a sample from the component. The same techniques can be used on small specimens when standard preparation methods are difficult or impossible. In-place metallography allows for a quick on-site component evaluation. It can reveal whether a component has suffered from overheating or other microstructural damage that nondestructive evaluation techniques cannot detect.

Portable hardness testing can measure the hardness of components in the field using a Microdur TM or an Equotip TM. Hardness data is used to estimate the tensile strength of steels or to determine if a component has experienced thermal softening. Portable hardness testing is often used in conjunction with in-place metallography or replication to provide a thorough assessment of the metallurgical condition of a component in the field.

Optimech can perform failure analysis on-site. This analysis may involve component preservation, photography, non-destructive testing, chemical analysis, photography, material sampling, hardness testing, in-situ replication, hard replication, eddy current and video probe analysis

A failure analysis can have three broad objectives:

Failure mode may be determined on-site or in the laboratory, using methods such as fractography, metallography, and mechanical testing. Some common failure modes are fatigue, tensile overload, corrosion and stress rupture.

Failure cause is determined from laboratory studies and knowledge of the component, its loading and it's environment. Comparative sampling or duplication of the failure mode in the laboratory may be necessary to determine the cause.

Root failure cause is determined using knowledge of the mode, the cause, and the particular process or system. Determining the root failure cause may require complete information about the equipment's design, operation, maintenance, history, and environment.

A typical failure analysis might include fractography, metallography, chemical analysis and material testing. Samples are removed if appropriate for chemical analysis if appropriate, scale or deposits are collected and any fracture surface features are documented.

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is often used to evaluate fracture surfaces for material defects, determine fracture modes, and measure fracture features and particles precisely. Our engineers also use energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to identify elemental constituents in contaminants and corrosion products.

A metallographic evaluation of the failed part can identify the cause of failure whether deterioration was general or localized.

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