Component Damage and Failure Investigation
The core of UQMP’s business lies in failure analysis — the systematic investigation of the mechanisms and causes of equipment failure and damage. Our services encompass:
- Failure analysis for both engineering and legal purposes
- Fracture & fatigue, corrosion, wear, thermal and mixed-mode failures & damage
- Determination of mechanism and root cause of damage
- Experience in component failures from a wide variety of industries
- Assessment of compliance of components with contracts, codes & standards
- Recommendations for improvements in design and materials selection for recurring problems
- Assessment of the effect of materials properties (through laboratory testing) and operational stresses (through finite element analysis) on component behaviour.
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Wear Mitigation
Abrasive wear is one of the major sources of maintenance-related costs in the mining and minerals industries. UQ Materials Performance has expertise in wear mitigation based upon 15 years of industry-oriented research experience. Services offered include:
- Site inspections to identify wear modes, assess design factors and operational constraints
- Laboratory wear testing to compare the performance of candidate materials
- Metallurgical characterisation of candidate materials to aid understanding and predictive ability
- Field trials to evaluate and prove proposed mitigation initiatives.
Expert Witness and Forensic Engineering Services
In litigation, product liability, patent disputes, fire & accident investigations and insurance claims, there is often a need for expert technical advice to inform and support a legal case. Cases in which UQ Materials Performance has provided expert witness and forensic engineering services include:
- Fragmentation of steelwork during demolition of a public building with consequent fatality
- Acetylene gas cylinder explosion with consequent severe injury
- Cause of failure of polycarbonate electrical socket box with consequent fatality
- Breach of a sulphuric acid tank with consequent environmental damage
- Multiple leaks in PVC irrigation pipe allegedly causing loss of cotton crop
- Fracture of bicycle handlebar with consequent severe injury
- Characterisation of corrosion-resistant coatings, for a patent dispute
- Rupture of heat exchanger with consequent water damage to computers
- Role of corrosion in damage to copper fire hydrant pipe-work
Microscopy and Materials Testing
In addition to materials characterisation within the context of consultancy, UQ Materials Performance offers services to clients who simply need material property data & microstructure information:
- Microscopy: optical, SEM, TEM, quantitative image analysis, electron probe microanalysis
- X-ray diffraction: mineral & metal identification & quantification, incl. retained austenite
- Surface analysis: XPS
- Tensile & compression testing: NATA certification for tensile testing of metals
- Hardness testing: Vickers, Brinell, Rockwell, Equotip portable, Mohs
- Toughness testing: KIC, Charpy impact
Engineering Design and Stress Analysis
In addition to investigation of equipment failure, UQ Materials Performance uses its engineering and stress analysis expertise in the design and evaluation of plant & equipment. Services include:
- 3D CAD modelling
- Finite Element Modelling for stress analysis, with laboratory verification as needed
- Proof tests and design of specialised testing rigs