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
at Quality 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
Damage Analysis of
Various Components and Materials
Metallic components
Battery cells
Fuel cells
Electronic components
Plastic components
Medical components
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.
Electronics Manufacturing
Modern electronic assemblies and semiconductor components are highly complex and sensitive to even the slightest material, manufacturing, or contact defects.
To analyze failures and prevent damage, we examine printed circuit boards, solder joints, bond connections, and microchips using high-resolution techniques such as FIB-SEM microscopy, SEM/EDX analysis, 2D X-ray, and 3D computed tomography (CT). This allows even microscopic defects, cracks, or contaminants to be reliably identified.
Battery Cell Analysis
Under strict safety protocols, we open and disassemble your battery cells and analyze the individual components and cell structures down to the nanoscale. We have a wide range of light, laser, and electron microscopes at our disposal for high-resolution imaging and evaluation of manufacturing quality at the levels of cell structure and material microstructure.
Key areas of analysis include, among others, the visualization of surface topography, including material identification via SEM-EDX analysis (e.g., for deposits), or comprehensive damage analysis, such as anomalies or cracks in the electrode coating, particle fractures, voids, inhomogeneous distribution of active materials, intergranular corrosion, and much more.
Security & Defence
In the security and defense industries, materials testing and materialography ensure the reliability and durability of safety-critical components. The focus is particularly on damage analysis to investigate cracks, fractures, corrosion, and welding and material defects in armor, aerospace, and weapons systems.
Using hardness testing, SEM-EDX, ultrasonics, X-ray, and microstructural analysis, the causes of damage are systematically identified, material failures are evaluated, and measures to prevent future failures are derived.
Medical Technology
Even the smallest material or manufacturing defects can have serious consequences in medical technology. With our analytical methods, we help manufacturers detect defects in implants, surgical instruments, or plastic components at an early stage and reliably identify their causes.
We employ non-destructive testing methods for internal structures, SEM/EDX analyses to examine fracture surfaces and particles, materialographic section analyses to evaluate material microstructures, as well as precise measurement and surface analyses to validate critical components and manufacturing processes.
Automotive
The automotive industry is undergoing a transformation driven by electromobility and new powertrain concepts. In addition to traditional applications such as weld seam and material testing, failure analyses of batteries, power electronics, and sensor systems are becoming increasingly important.
The methods used include 3D computed tomography (CT), SEM/EDX analysis, metallographic examinations, 2D X-ray inspections, and technical cleanliness verification.
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:
Frequently Asked Questions about Damage Analysis
A failure analysis is a method used to investigate and evaluate damage to materials, components, or products. The goal is to identify and understand the causes of the damage and to uncover potential weaknesses. For this reason, damage analysis is an indispensable procedure in many industries, not only to identify problems but also to resolve them and to mitigate or completely prevent future damage.
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.
The VDI Guideline 3822 defines a standardized approach for conducting damage analysis on technical products and materials. It describes in detail how damage should be systematically investigated in order to reliably determine its causes. Factors such as material properties, manufacturing processes, environmental influences, and operating conditions are taken into account. The guideline places particular emphasis on an interdisciplinary approach and ensures that the analysis is reproducible, structured, and traceable.
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.
The term “root cause” refers to the underlying cause of a problem, damage, or error. It is the central trigger that sets off a chain of events and ultimately leads to the observed problem. Unlike the visible effects of a problem, root cause analysis aims to identify and eliminate the underlying causes.
By addressing the root cause, similar problems can be effectively prevented in the future. This is a central approach in damage analysis and a key to sustainable problem-solving.
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.