Scribd
Upload
28 views10 pages

Basic Failure Analysis

A failure occurs when a component is unable to perform its intended function due to excessive deformation, fracture, or an unacceptable gap between expected and actual performance. Failures can result from subjecting a component to environments beyond its design limits, using inappropriate materials, defects, wrong design, service abuses, or inadequate maintenance. While failures cannot be totally avoided, failure analysis seeks to understand why failures occur in order to minimize risks, prevent recurrences, and improve future designs. Failure analysis investigates deficiencies, imperfections, defects, errors, abnormalities or other factors that led to failure.

Uploaded by

Luis Carlos Balcazar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
28 views10 pages

Basic Failure Analysis

A failure occurs when a component is unable to perform its intended function due to excessive deformation, fracture, or an unacceptable gap between expected and actual performance. Failures can result from subjecting a component to environments beyond its design limits, using inappropriate materials, defects, wrong design, service abuses, or inadequate maintenance. While failures cannot be totally avoided, failure analysis seeks to understand why failures occur in order to minimize risks, prevent recurrences, and improve future designs. Failure analysis investigates deficiencies, imperfections, defects, errors, abnormalities or other factors that led to failure.

Uploaded by

Luis Carlos Balcazar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

What is a Failure ?

Basics of Failure Analysis


What is a Failure ?
 Failure represents an adverse situation wherein a
component or assembly fails to perform its
intended function satisfactorily

 Failure is an unacceptable gap between expected


and actual performance
What
Whatconstitutes
constitutesaaFailure?
Failure?

 Excessive Elastic deformation


 Affects functioning of other components in a
subsystem/system

 Excessive Plastic deformation


 Affects functioning of the component itself

 Fracture
 The integrity of the component is lost
Why does a component fail?
Why does a component fail?
 The component is subjected to an environment
beyond its design envelop

 An inappropriate choice of material for the design


and operating conditions

 The material, to start with, is defective


 Design itself is wrong
 Service abuses
Failure: Can
Failure:
it beCan
totally
it beavoided?
totally avoided?
 Failures are a fact of life
 A failure-free system is more a myth than a reality
 Failure free system is unattainable or prohibitively
expensive
 The engineering profession and industries aim at
design and manufacture of products with the
probability of service failure at the absolute
minimum
Impact of Failures…

 Fatalities
 Injuries to personnel
 Damage to property
 Shutdown of an entire plant
 Loss of production
 Ecological balance - release of hazardous gas
 Expensive and prolonged litigation – questioning the
credibility of the manufacturers and reliability of their
products
FailureFailure
Analysis:
Analysis:
Why? Why?
Function Safety Appearance Economics

Design

Material selection

Fabrication

Machining

Assembly

Service Failure Analysis


IMPORTANCE OF FAILURE INVESTIGATION

Failure analysis reveals one or more the following:


Deficiencies in design
Material imperfection
Fabrication defects
Improper processing
Errors in assembly
Service abnormalities
Inadequate or improper maintenance
Unintended or inadvertent factors
The Failure Rate…
The failure rate is depicted in the so-called “bath tub” curve similar
to that of human mortality rate
What Questions Need to be Answered?

What happened?
How did it happen?
Why did it happen?
What can be done to prevent a recurrence?
What can be done to minimize failure/ accident
consequences?

You might also like