Failure Analysis

Local universities graduates are encouraged to take parts in business opportunity in Malaysia. As materials engineering graduate, knowledge and skills in failure analysis seems having a large potential to be commercialised internationally. To set up a consultation firm that specialist in failure analysis services of engineering materials, you have to apply RM500,000 from Graduate Entrepreneur Schemes. To realize this intention, you have to make a proposal based on following inquiries.

a)              Explain the definition of failure in term of materials engineering?

Inability of a materials or a components to perform the intended function Meet performance criteria although it may still be operational Perform safely and reliably even after deterioration. ExamplesYieldingWearBuckling (elastic instability)corrosionfracture

 

b)       In term of economy, convince the Graduate Entrepreneur Schemes evaluation committee panels on the important and the value of failure analysis that will be offered to potential industry customers.

Identify corrective actions based on a determination of the root cause of the failure. Minimize future failures of the same type. Tool that can be used to  Ø reduce maintenance costs,     Ø increase system availability,     Ø reduce the potential losses involved in catastrophic failures. Potential savings will vary on a case by case basis. Used to identify the party at fault. Financial losses resulting from a failure can often be recovered when  Ø deficiencies in design,  Ø workmanship or  Ø materials         can be identified as the root cause of the failure.

 

c)            In your proposal, list down and justify the procurement of the scientific equipments that necessitate to purchased to implement failure analysis consultation services

[30 Marks]

1)      Photography 2)      Optical Microscopy up to 600X 3)      Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) over 10,000X 4)      Chemical Analysis Ø      SEM/EDS Ø      Spark Emission Spectroscopy Ø      Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) 5)      Mechanical Testing Ø      Hardness, micro-hardness, tensile, shear, physical testing 6)      Stress Analysis / FEA Ø      Magnitude, principal direction, sensitivity 7)      Instrumentation Ø      Strain Gages, accelerometers, thermocouples, ect. 8)      Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)

b)              Recommend the types of potential industries that needs your consultation services

[20 Marks] 

      

Upstream and Downstream Oil & Gas Petrochemical Refining Power generation Marine Medical Instruments Commercial Properties Government Agency Alloy Producers Equipment Manufacturers Ship and Ship Building Water and Wastewater