Your contact person for
Materialography
Damage analysis – fast, sound and pracitcal
Whether fatigue, the effects of force or corrosion, we will find the cause! Our systematic and interdisciplinary approach quickly provides you with meaningful results that you can rely on thanks to the excellent quality of our work. In addition to strict compliance with all relevant quality standards, we also have many years of practical expertise. That is why we know what is important in practice.
fast, reliable
damage analysis
- Macroscopic assessment of the damaged area in a stereo microscope
- Scanning electron microscopy for the high-resolution depiction of surface structures (topography) and material differences
- Elemental analysis of inclusions (EDX analysis)
- FIB-SEM analysis: creation of depth profiles and analysis in the nanometre range
- Light microscopic microstructure analysis on prepared specimen
- Spark emission spectroscopy (OES) for determination of the material and checking the alloy composition
- Hardness testing to analyse heat treatment
- Laser scanning microscopy for the characterisation of surfaces
Analysis options for a wide range of damage causes
Mechanical stress
We analyse fractures and similar defects under a scanning electron microscope to identify damage triggered by mechanical stress on a component. The typical appearance allows clear conclusions to be drawn about the cause of the damage, which means that future defects can be efficiently avoided.
Wear and corrosion
We determine the wear or corrosion mechanisms with the aid of all necessary microscopic procedures, namely light, scanning electron and laser scanning microscopy, in order to provide you with information on what measures you need to take to remedy the situation quickly.
Manufacturing defects
With comprehensive expertise and extensive practical experience, we quickly and accurately identify the damage mechanisms that are the cause of your manufacturing defects so that the sources of the defects can be tracked down and eliminated. We use all the necessary investigation methods.
Defects in welded joints
The heat input during the welding process leads to unavoidable changes in the microstructure, which can result in material, production and operational defects over time. In the acid-etched section, we detect these welding defects under the microscope and by means of hardness testing.
Surfaces and coatings
We use scanning electron microscopy to analyse surfaces and coatings for defects and signs of wear. We prepare deeper layers with minimal influences using FIB-SEM microscopy and make statements about the layer structure and thickness as well as possible defects.
Thermal damage
Thermal influences can lead to significant damage such as hot or thermal shock cracks. We detect these using light and scanning electron microscopy. Using Brinell and Vickers hardness testing, we also create a meaningful hardness curve for the heat input zone.
Applications for damage analysis
Fast and precise results
according to area of application
Metallic components
Battery cells
Fuel cells
Electronic components
Plastic components
Medical components
Applications for damage analysis
highly precise examination methods
according to fields of application
Added value at quality analysis
Speed
We can provide you with precise measurement results at short notice. We have both the necessary personnel and a large analysis systems to provide you with a reliable damage analysis for your component quickly.
Preparation
We have a very wide range of cutting and preparation methods at our disposal for precisely dismantling components or entire assemblies and preparing the smallest damaged areas microscopically without altering the sample through undesirable mechanical or thermal influences.
Solution-orientation
Often it is necessary to combine various analytical methods to obtain the best result for specific damage. Here you profit from the sound experience and expertise of our experts and the many different analysis systems available to us.
Documentation
The individual analytical steps and analysis results are transparently and comprehensibly depicted and explained with the aid of image material in our test report. We go into the findings obtained and provide an overview of possible rectification measures.
Accredited test laboratory for damage analysis
Our test methods for destructive testing of non-metallic and metallic materials, weld and solder seam analyses on metallic materials, layer thickness measurement, measurement of edge oxidation and grain size determination, porosity analysis in metallic materials and coatings, particle analysis of non-metallic, carbon-based, organic and mineral particles, hardness testing, hardness curve and direct hardness measurement on metallic materials are accredited by Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle GmbH (DAkkS) in accordance with DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025. We are one of the few testing laboratories in Europe where all specialised areas have been successfully accredited.
You can read more about the advantages our accreditation offers you here:
Fields of application for damage analysis
In every branch of industry, defects occasionally occur during production. Determining the causes is often complex and time-consuming. Systematic damage analysis not only helps to detect the faults themselves, but also their source. This is the only way to avoid them in the future. This makes damage analysis an important component of damage prevention.
AUTOMOTIVE
The automotive industry is currently undergoing profound change. In the course of the switch to electromobility, object-related damage analysis of electronic components is becoming increasingly important, while classic fields of damage analysis such as weld seam inspection are still relevant. Thanks to our comprehensive approach, we are able to cover all of these areas.
Electronics manufacturing
Although modern high-performance electronics achieve amazing things, they are also particularly susceptible to damage. The faults and their causes are often on a scale that can only be analysed using microscopic tools. High-resolution methods such as FIB-SEM microscopy are therefore used to analyse and prevent damage.
Medical technology
In hardly any other field can a material or component defect jeopardise human lives as obviously as in medical technology. Doctors must be able to fully rely on their instruments to function safely and reliably during complex procedures. Medical implants such as stents fulfil vital functions in the human body. Damage to them must therefore be avoided at all costs.
Analytics of battery cells
Under strict safety measures, we open and dismantle your battery cells and analyse the individual components and cell structures down to the nanoscale. Versatile light, laser and electron microscopes are available to us for high-resolution visualisation and evaluation of the production quality at the cell structure and microstructure levels. The main areas of analysis include the visualisation of the surface topography including material determination using SEM-EDX analysis (e.g. in the case of deposits) or comprehensive damage analysis, e.g. anomalies or cracks in the electrode coating, particle fractures, cavities, inhomogeneous distribution of active materials, intercrystalline corrosion and much more.
Frequently asked questions
Which standards are relevant for damage analysis?
The most important standard for carrying out a damage analysis is VDI 3822 "Damage analysis - Principles and performance of a damage analysis", which also guides our approach. Compliance with this standard also makes it possible to compare different damage analyses.
What is the difference between material testing and damage analysis?
In material testing or material analysis, a material is tested for certain properties, such as its hardness or shape. It is therefore concerned with the presence of desirable and the absence of undesirable properties, not with the search for specific damage or defects and the cause. However, both areas ultimately aim to prevent damage.
QUALITY ANALYSIS
the right partner
for damage analysis
Do you need a detailed damage analysis?
Then you are in the right place. We would be pleased to advise you about the numerous possibilities and combined analytical methods. The goal: the best, most cost-effective and most efficient explanation of your damage.