Course Details

This course is appropriate for a wide range of professionals but not limited to:

• Materials Engineers
• Mechanical Engineers
• Metallurgists
• Design Engineers
• Reliability Engineers
• Maintenance and Operations Personnel
• Quality Control/Assurance Professionals

• Expert-led sessions with dynamic visual aids
• Comprehensive course manual to support practical application and reinforcement
• Interactive discussions addressing participants’ real-world projects and challenges
• Insightful case studies and proven best practices to enhance learning

By the end of this course, participants should be able to:

• Establish the purpose, scope, and standardized approach to material failure analysis
• Learn how to identify, analyze, and differentiate fracture types in materials
• Understand failure mechanisms caused by repeated loading and surface degradation
• Analyze failures influenced by environmental and thermal exposure
• Apply failure analysis skills in real-world contexts to develop solutions and prevent recurrence

DAY 1

Introduction & General Procedures for Failure Analysis

• Pre-test
• Importance of Failure Analysis in Engineering and Safety
• Types of Failures: Ductile, Brittle, Fatigue, Wear, Corrosion, Creep
• Types of Stress: Tensile, Compressive, Shear, Residual, Thermal, Cyclic
• Stress-Strain Behavior and Material Deformation
• General Procedures for Failure Analysis:

• Problem Definition and Background Review
• Visual and Macroscopic Examination
• Sample Preservation and Documentation
• Initial Hypothesis Formation

• Group Exercise

DAY 2

Ductile and Brittle Fractures

• Ductile Fracture:

• Characteristics (e.g., necking, dimple formation)
• Energy absorption and plastic deformation

• Brittle Fracture:

• Cleavage, Intergranular Fracture
• Fracture toughness and critical flaw size

• Fractography Basics:

• Visual and SEM-based Fracture Surface Analysis
• Fracture Patterns and Origin Determination

• Case Study

DAY 3

Fatigue and Wear Failures

• Fatigue Failures:

• High-cycle vs. Low-cycle Fatigue
• Crack Initiation and Growth
• Beach Marks and Striations
• Design and Operational Factors in Fatigue

• Wear Failures:

• Types: Adhesive, Abrasive, Fretting, Erosive
• Wear Particle Analysis
• Surface Treatments and Lubrication

• Case Study

DAY 4

Corrosion and Elevated-Temperature Failures

• Corrosion Failures:

• Uniform, Galvanic, Pitting, Crevice, Intergranular, SCC
• Mechanisms, Detection, and Prevention

• Elevated-Temperature Failures:

• Creep Deformation: Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Stages
• Thermal Fatigue
• Microstructural Changes at High Temperatures

• Combined Effects: Thermal and Corrosive Environments
• Case Study

DAY 5

Failure Prevention and Root Cause Analysis

• Root Cause Analysis Techniques:

• 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagrams, Fault Tree Analysis

• Prevention Strategies:

• Material Selection
• Design Improvements (e.g., fillets, surface treatments)
• Manufacturing and Quality Controls

• Reporting Findings:

• Structure of a Failure Analysis Report
• Legal and Ethical Considerations

• Final Review and Key Takeaways
• Post-test