By Claudia Wang
What is materials testing and failure analysis?
Materials testing is one of the most important processes in many industries which is used to ascertain the physical and mechanical properties of materials. It is an essential step for the manufacturing process and it can help people know whether certain material or treatment is suitable for a specific application. In addition, failure analysis is the process to determine which parts cause failure and find solutions to solve the problems.
Materials testing can provide abundant information using tested materials, prototypes or product samples.The data collected during the testing can be very useful for engineers, designers, and production managers to verify whether the right materials are selected for the intended application.
Here are some of the reasons why we need to use materials testing:
- Regulatory agencies mandatory requirements
- Selecting suitable materials and treatments for an application
- Evaluating product design or improvement specifications
- Verifying a production process
REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
Many products are used in key applications where a failure could cause significant harm. Some examples are manufactured fasteners and parts that are very important in maintaining the safety of airplanes, bridges, vehicles, nuclear reactors, military equipment and medical implants. In this situation, government and regulatory organizations mandate that the manufactures meet the code requirements and companies comply with these standards.
MATERIAL AND TREATMENT SELECTION
The quality of a material becoming a manufactured product is as important as the reliability of the production process. Materials testing can help us understand if the material is suited for a specific application, choose a reliable supplier and also verify the material properties when selecting a new supplier.
PRODUCT DESIGN AND IMPROVEMENT
SEM/EDS analysis is useful for companies that want to test a specific material for a new product design. This testing can be performed to evaluate mechanical properties such as strength, hardness, elasticity and fracture toughness. In addition, corrosion testing can help us determine if the material will hold up under the given conditions such as humidity or a salt water environment.
PRODUCTION PROCESSES
Testing is an important part of both design and manufacturing process which not only can minimize the damage and cost but also can ensure the safety of the product. Materials testing usually takes place in the early stages of development of a product to evaluate the planned production process.
Failure analysis also is very important since it helps us identify the defective products, insufficient products and the reason causing the failure.
Acetake Group Inc. provides mechanical testing for a variety of materials:steel plates, re-bar, fasteners, welding materials, cement, concrete and masonry mortar, asphalt concrete, soil, brick, plastics, rubber, paints, waterproof, strand, car components. For more details check our Materials Testing Services.
Contact us to learn more about materials testing today by: email: info@acetakegroup.com or phone number: +1 (800) 388 - 7569
You can also send us a message on our contact page.
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