|
General Industrial
Equipment Failures
Tractor
Seat Failure
Metallurgical failure analysis was requested on a
failed seat from a piece of
heavy industrial equipment. Examination revealed that
some of the bolts attaching the seat to the tractor had failed.
Further investigation proved that not all attachment bolts had been
in place when the seat had failed. The bolts that
were in place were not adequately tightened. The cause
of the failure was found to be inadequate maintenance on
the part of the tractor owner or operator.
________________________
Metallurgical failure analysis was requested in the
failure of a large piece of industrial equipment.
During routing use, a
wear plate separated from its
support and was entrapped in the equipment. Visual
examination showed that the cause of the plate failing
off was the failure of several retaining bolts.
The fasteners were found to have failed from overload
stresses. One
fastener head was sheared off at the chamfer seat.
Visual and metallurgical examination revealed evidence
that not all fasteners that were supposed to hold the
plate in place were present at the time of the accident.
The cause of the failure was determined to be inadequate
maintenance performed by the owner/operator in not
ensuring all fasteners were in place before operating
the equipment.
Photograph A: Large tree mulcher involved
in the subject
failure.
Photograph B: Wear plate jammed between
hammer mill
and debris gate.
________________________
Metallurgical failure analysis was requested after a
large grass mower blade failure. Macro and microscopic
examination along with metallurgical analysis of the
failed blade revealed that cracks introduced during the
heat treating process were to blame for the failure.
The cracks during heat treatment were due to poor
quality control on the part of the mower blade
manufacturer.
Back to top
|
Dr.
R. Craig Jerner, Ph.D., PE specializes in accident
investigation and metallurgical failure analysis,
with over 30 years experience as a metallurgical
consultant and accident investigator. He has
testified as a metallurgical expert in over 250
depositions and more than 70 court appearances. If you or someone you know should need the services of Dr. Jerner and J.E.I. Metallurgical, please visit our web site at the buttons below, or e-mail Dr. Jerner --- 