Engineering
Failure Analysis
Failure analysis should separate the symptom from the physical mechanism that created it.
What this topic covers
What a useful failure investigation must establish.
A failed component can point to material, geometry, loading, manufacturing, assembly or use-condition causes. Good analysis builds evidence before selecting corrective action.
- Preserve and compare failed and known-good evidence where possible.
- Map the failure mode to loads, interfaces, process history and environmental conditions.
- Verify the proposed cause against observable evidence before closing corrective action.
The goal is not a plausible explanation. It is a cause strong enough to support a durable engineering decision.
A useful failure investigation ends with a mechanism that can be controlled and a correction that can be verified.
When the issue needs execution, bring the operating condition, evidence and constraint.