Failure Analysis Service

Comprehensive Failure Analysis Service for Root Cause Investigation and Prevention

As an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited testing laboratory, our Failure Analysis Service delivers scientifically rigorous root cause investigations for manufacturers, exporters, and procurement managers worldwide. Our Failure Analysis Service combines advanced analytical instrumentation with multi-disciplinary engineering expertise to resolve product failures, manufacturing defects, and in-service degradation across the European Union, North America, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. Every investigation is conducted under our CNAS-accredited quality system, producing reports that are accepted by notified bodies, insurers, and legal authorities globally.

Product Samples We Regularly Test in Our Failure Analysis Service

• Metallic components and structures — fractured shafts, gears, fasteners, springs, pipes, pressure vessels, and welded fabrications
• Polymer and composite parts — cracked housings, failed seals, delaminated panels, degraded tubing, and composite overwraps
• Electronic assemblies and printed circuit boards — failed solder joints, short circuits, corroded connectors, lifted wire bonds, and burned components
• Coatings and surface treatments — blistered paint, adhesion failures, premature corrosion under coatings, and chemical attack
• Ceramic and glass components — fractured insulators, cracked glass panels, and worn ceramic tooling
• Additive manufactured and 3D-printed parts — build failures, excessive porosity, distortion, and anisotropic property issues

Failure Analysis Service for Metallic Materials and Components

• Fractographic examination by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy — following ASTM E1188 and ISO 30500, fracture surfaces are examined at high magnification to identify failure mechanisms such as fatigue striations, microvoid coalescence, cleavage, and intergranular fracture. EDS analysis identifies corrosion products, inclusions, and surface contaminants at the crack origin.
• Metallographic cross-section preparation and optical microscopy — per ASTM E3 and ISO 643, microstructural features including grain size, phase distribution, decarburization depth, and heat treatment anomalies are evaluated to link material condition to the failure sequence.
• Chemical composition verification by optical emission spectrometry — per ASTM E415 and ISO 14284, the alloy grade is confirmed to rule out material substitution or out-of-specification chemistry as a contributing factor.
• Mechanical testing including tensile, hardness, and impact toughness — per ISO 6892-1, ISO 6507-1, and ISO 148-1, residual mechanical properties are measured on samples adjacent to the failure to assess whether the material met design strength and toughness requirements.
• Microhardness mapping and case depth measurement — Vickers microhardness traverses per ISO 6507-1 and ISO 2639 quantify surface hardening, decarburization, or thermal damage at the failure origin.
• Non-destructive inspection by industrial radiography and computed tomography — prior to destructive sectioning, internal defects such as porosity, cracks, and inclusions are mapped using ASTM E1441 and digital radiography per ISO 17636-2.
• Corrosion and environmentally assisted cracking evaluation — per ASTM G48, ASTM G36, and NACE TM0177, the susceptibility to pitting, crevice corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking is assessed in the context of the actual service environment.
• Residual stress measurement by X-ray diffraction — surface and near-surface residual stresses are measured per ASTM E915 to determine whether manufacturing processes or service loads contributed to crack initiation.

Failure Analysis Service for Polymeric, Elastomeric, and Composite Materials

• Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for polymer identification and degradation assessment — per ASTM E1252, chemical changes such as oxidation, hydrolysis, and plasticizer loss are identified by comparing failed material spectra with reference libraries.
• Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis — per ASTM D3418 and ASTM E1131, thermal transitions, crystallinity changes, filler content, and decomposition profiles are measured to detect improper curing, contamination, or thermal degradation.
• Dynamic mechanical analysis for viscoelastic property changes — per ASTM D4065, the storage modulus and glass transition temperature are compared between failed and reference samples to assess embrittlement or softening during service.
• Gel permeation chromatography for molecular weight determination — per ASTM D6474, changes in the molecular weight distribution of the polymer are quantified to confirm chain scission or crosslinking from environmental attack.
• Tensile, flexural, and impact testing of residual specimens — per ISO 527, ISO 178, and ISO 180, the retained mechanical properties are measured and compared to the original material specification.
• Scanning electron microscopy for fracture surface and filler dispersion analysis — per ASTM E1508, the failure surface is examined to identify crack origins, filler agglomerates, voids, and poor fiber-matrix adhesion that contributed to the failure.
• Computed tomography for internal defect mapping in composites — delaminations, impact damage, and core crush in sandwich structures are imaged non-destructively per ASTM E1441 prior to sectioning.

Failure Analysis Service for Electronic Assemblies and Electrical Failures

• X-ray inspection by 2D and 3D computed tomography — per IPC-TM-650 and ASTM E1441, internal solder joint voids, head-in-pillow defects, and broken wire bonds are visualized without disassembly.
• Cross-sectioning and metallographic preparation of solder joints and PCBs — per IPC-TM-650 and ASTM E3, intermetallic compound layer thickness, voiding, and crack paths through solder and copper traces are evaluated under optical and scanning electron microscopes.
• Ionic contamination testing by resistivity of solvent extract — per IPC-TM-650 method 2.3.25, surface ionic residues that cause electrochemical migration and corrosion are quantified.
• Thermal imaging and lock-in thermography — localized hot spots and resistive heating defects are identified under powered operation to locate short circuits and high-resistance interconnects.
• Electrical overstress and electrostatic discharge damage characterization — per JEDEC and ESDA standards, the physical signatures of EOS and ESD on semiconductor die are identified by SEM and focused ion beam cross-sectioning.
• Connector contact resistance and fretting corrosion analysis — per ASTM B667, the increase in contact resistance due to corrosion product build-up and mechanical wear is measured and correlated to environmental exposure conditions.

Failure Analysis Service for Coatings, Paints, and Surface Treatments

• Coating thickness measurement by magnetic induction and eddy current — per ISO 2178 and ASTM D7091, the dry film thickness is verified against the specification to identify inadequate or excessive application.
• Pull-off adhesion testing and cross-cut adhesion assessment — per ISO 4624 and ISO 2409, the bond strength between coating and substrate or between coating layers is quantified to diagnose delamination and blistering failures.
• Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for coating barrier performance — per ASTM G106, the pore resistance and capacitance of the coating are measured to detect early water uptake and loss of protective function before visible corrosion appears.
• Neutral salt spray and cyclic corrosion exposure with scribed creep evaluation — per ISO 9227 and ASTM B117, the failed coating system is compared to controls under accelerated corrosion conditions to quantify under-film corrosion propagation rates.
• FTIR and SEM-EDS analysis of coating defects and contaminants — blister contents, embedded contaminants, and interlayer residues are identified chemically and morphologically to trace the source of the coating failure.

Report Recognition and ISO/IEC 17025 Compliance

All investigative methods employed within our Failure Analysis Service are included in our ISO/IEC 17025 scope of accreditation. Our failure analysis reports are accepted by European notified bodies, North American engineering authorities and insurers, and regulatory and legal bodies across the Middle East, Australia, and Asia. Whether you require a root cause investigation of a single fractured component, a systematic warranty claim evaluation, or an independent expert witness report, our laboratory delivers the measurement accuracy and multi-disciplinary expertise that global supply chains rely upon.