subject: Preventing Failures in Your Industry [print this page] Any industry thrives on smooth functioningAny industry thrives on smooth functioning. An airline industry is a good commercial proposition as long as its aircraft take off and land without any mishaps or accidents. Preventing failures demands periodic critical inspection. An aircraft undercarriage system undergoes impact during every arrival at an airport. During this impact the entire undercarriage system undergoes immense stresses. Firstly, the undercarriage system would need to be examined periodically to ensure that the impacts have not given rise to any cracks. However, even before the undercarriage system is manufactured every material that was selected for the manufacture would need to be tested and analyzed. This materials analysis precludes any failure while in service. Further, the undercarriage system itself is subjected to a prolonged fatigue test wherein the undercarriage is repeatedly subjected to simulated landings and takeoffs till the system actually fails. This failure is analyzed and the failure analysis reveals the precise cause of the failure as to whether the failure was due to shock loads or due to long term fatigue.
Therefore, it can be seen that to start an industry is a serious business wherein materials analysis has to confirm that each material performs well within its performance envelope that includes a safety factor as well. Thereafter, during the course of running of the industry periodic non-destructive testing confirms that all systems are working satisfactorily within acceptable parameters. Finally, when a failure does occur a thorough failure analysis is carried out to assess the actual cause of the failure. Failures can be caused due to faulty material or faulty manufacture (manufacturing defect). It can also be caused due to a defect in design or the error of the operator. Finally, failures could be caused due to extraneous reasons such as if the undercarriage were to be prevented from extending or retracting due to an obstruction within the wheel well.
While materials analysis is carried out by metallography, Chemical Analysis or Gas Chromatography and Spectroscopy, failure analysis may need simple tests for hardness, UTS and impact strength or complex treatments such as computer simulation and modeling. The help of materials analysis is often sought too.
