AUtomotive
In-field failures or manufacturing problems are never acceptable — but they happen. Having the right information makes all the difference.
Component failures can be expensive and dangerous — in design, production or out on the highway. With our metallurgical laboratory analysis services, we can discern the essential information you need to resolve the quality, design, or service failure issues that stand in your way.
Steel Image can help you prevent additional failures in these key ways.
Understanding Failures
In-house quality issues. Field failures.
Obtaining a clear diagnosis is needed to safely and cost-effectively resolve the issue.
Using lab-based equipment, our metallurgists provide the details of failure, production and material issues. Understanding where the problem comes from — misuse, material quality, manufacturing, heat treatment — allows you to make informed decisions regarding recalls, quarantine and corrective actions.
Working with Steel Image gives you what you need.
Prototype Failures
Material issues. Design failures.
We use failure analysis to provide the information your team needs to make the right decisions during the design phase. From identifying material issues and prototype deficiencies or determining details like the location of crack initiation and nature of stresses, we can help. Without this information, the designer may be forced to make conservative adjustments which can prove to be costly throughout the part’s campaign.
We use failure analysis to identify material issues and prototype deficiencies or determine details like the location of crack initiation and nature of stresses to help your team make the right decisions during the design phase. Our analysis tools can also provide support in assessing initial production parts to confirm material quality, heat treatments, machined radii and other factors.
How many engineers deal with cracked parts yet never learn how to interpret crack features?
Imagine if you could look at a crack and determine what type of crack it is, where it started from, deficiencies that contributed and the nature of loading. Well you can. We can teach you.
Case Studies
Fatigue Failure of Automotive Assembly Plant Chain
Within two years of service, a conveyor chain at an automotive assembly plan had experienced fifteen failures.
Material Quality Issue with Hubs
Amongst thousands of hubs already shipped, the customer had found several of the hubs to be cracked. Production was halted until the supplier could confidently provide hubs without cracks.