ARDL’s failure analysis process is a thorough review of the failure mode of a component, product or material. We understand that determining the cause of production problems or field failures is important to save time, money and your reputation. ARDL utilizes a multi-faceted approach including expert review, microscopic analysis, chemical testing, physical testing and engineering services. We can perform non-destructive and destructive analysis, forensic analysis, failure mode and effect analysis, materials analysis, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and much more. When your product or material does not perform as designed or fails before its service life, contact ARDL to speak directly with our experts to solve your problems.
Medical Product Failure Analysis
Failure Analysis of medical products requires the use of unique mechanical and analytical techniques. The final goal of a product failure analysis is the determination of the mode and cause of failure. The first step is to perform a thorough inspection of the failed part, initially with an optical stereomicroscope and subsequently with a scanning electron microscope. Mechanical testing provides the tensile, dynamic, impact, thermal and stiffness properties of the material(s). While procedures vary, the primary mechanical tests provide a comparison between measured data to a specification, or to data generated by a known benchmark. Computer-aided stress analysis can provide the stress distribution of the part in service with the results detailing the geometrical effect of the failure. It is best, whenever possible, to provide a “control” product for comparison with the failed product.
Testing that may be performed during failure analysis includes:
- Chemical Testing
- Compound Analysis
- Fatigue Testing
- Finite Element Analysis
- Formula Reconstruction
- Impact Testing
- Mechanical/Physical Testing
- Microscopic Analysis
- Ultra High Strain Rate Analysis
