Failure Analysis

Failure Analysis is an evaluation to determine why an assembly, mechanism, or component broke, fractured or malfunctioned. This evaluation can involve components from automobiles, aircraft, watercraft, and consumer products such as chairs, ladders, glass, structural members and fasteners. The product in question may be a component made from metal, plastic, rubber, glass, or a composite material.

This analysis generally requires a laboratory evaluation, which could include electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and a material microstructural evaluation. As a result of that evaluation, the failure or fracture mode is determined in conjunction with the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of the subject material. The culmination of this laboratory evaluation, along with the investigator’s deductive reasoning and sequential thinking, lead to a probable sequence of events and an engineering explanation for how and why the failure occurred. This analysis can be critical to the outcome of the litigation matter.

Consulting Engineers & Scientists, Inc. has the expertise and experience as well as a high degree of problem solving skills in this refined and technical engineering discipline. Please call us today to discuss your failure analysis matter.