If a technical system prematurely or unexpectedly fails, a quick response is necessary since subsequent damage and expensive recalls can result.
The most important steps of damage analysis are to precisely describe the damage and its prior history. A "criminal investigation" approach must be used since the causes are frequently hidden or cumulative.
 |
|
 |
| Wear in the running trackof a ball bearing. |
|
Family of friction characteristics: Friction factor
depending on the sliding speed and load. |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
Wear from an oscillating test.
. |
|
Poor binding of glass fibers in a
polymer matrix. |
|
The most important initial investigation belongs to the source of damage.
|
 |
Has the failure arisen from a short service life, inefficiency, noise or impermissible vibration? |
|
Did the malfunction arise at a high or low temperature and/or under a specific operating
condition? |
|
Have similar errors arisen in the past in different applications or products? |
Our thirty years old experience and comprising tribological failure expertise can be of assistance. In the approximately 1,000 damage analyses that we have performed, the cause has been found in 90% of the cases, and the solution has been reached in about 70% of the cases.
Time required for a damage analysis: Generally two to eight weeks.
Within Europe, an emergency status report can be prepared in one to three days.
Costs: The scope of the investigations determines the costs.
All necessary additional tests can be done in our own chemical and tribological laboratory.
|
