When a part fails, the real question is why, and how to stop it recurring. MatX Lab works from the fracture through microstructure and composition to a documented root cause you can act on.
MatX Lab combines various inspections such as fractography, microstructure, composition, and non-destructive inspection into one investigation, sequenced to preserve the evidence. The result is a documented conclusion that holds up in a design review, a supplier dispute, or a courtroom. For example, when a part fails, the question is never just what broke, but why, and how to keep it from happening again. Failure analysis works backward from a broken component through the evidence it carries to a root cause you can act on.
The sequence is as important as the methods, because each step preserves evidence for the next. The output is a root-cause conclusion supported by data, not a guess.
Failure analysis is the structured and well carefully managed investigation of why a material or component failed. It combines several techniques rather than relying on one: non-destructive documentation, fractography to read the break, microstructural examination, and compositional analysis.
A failure investigation is a sequence, not a single test, and we scope the path the evidence calls for. Each technique below links to its own page.
Reads the fracture surface by optical and electron microscopy to locate the crack origin and identify the failure mode, whether fatigue, overload, brittle fracture, or corrosion.
Cross-sections and microstructure analysis that reveal defects, improper heat treatment, weld problems, or inclusions behind a failure.
Elemental and spectroscopic methods that confirm the material is the correct grade and identify contaminants or corrosion products at the failure site.
X-ray, CT, and penetrant methods that document and locate internal defects before any sectioning, preserving the evidence for the rest of the investigation.
Identifies corrosion products and mechanisms, such as pitting, stress-corrosion cracking, or galvanic attack, when the environment played a role.
XPS and related methods that characterize films, residues, or contamination on the failure surface, often where the answer lives.
Hardness and mechanical testing that confirm whether the material actually met its specification.
Failure analysis is the right call whenever a part failed unexpectedly, and the cause has to be understood, not assumed.
Failure analysis applies across every material class and the sectors where a failure carries real cost.
Materials: Metals & Alloys · Plastics · Composites · Ceramics & Glass · Thin Films & Coatings · Elastomers & Rubber
Industries: Aerospace · Automotive · Energy · Electronics · Manufacturing · Metals & Metalworking
Failure analysis draws on many methods, and the applicable standards depend on the material and the failure. Where an applicable standard exists, testing is aligned to it and cited in your report. We align to the methods your investigation requires and document them.
| Analysis / Standard | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Emission Microscopy | Root Cause & Defect Investigation |
| Gear Failure Analysis | Root Cause & Defect Investigation |
| Orange Peel Failure Analysis | Root Cause & Defect Investigation |
| Lpt | Liquid Dye Penetrant Testing |
| Digital Radiography | Non-Destructive Evaluation |
| Weld Failure Analysis | Root Cause & Defect Investigation |
| Durability Engineering | Root Cause & Defect Investigation |
| ASTM E1815 | Classification of Film Systems for Industrial Radiography |
| ASTM E112 | Average Grain Size |
| ASTM G85 | Modified Salt Spray Test |
| ASTM E1735 | Relative Image Quality of Industrial Radiographic Film Exposed to |
| ASTM E1417 | Liquid Penetrant Examination Standards Guide |
| ASTM E1382 | Average Grain Size using Semiautomatic and Automatic Image Analysis |
| ASTM D5894 | Cyclic Salt Fog/UV Exposure of Painted Metal |
| ASTM D3763, ASTM D7192 | Multiaxial Impact Test |
You should send that part to us without altering or modifying it. Do not make changes to any part on your own, whether it is to clean, cut, or even handle the fracture surface, since contamination and morphology are often where the answer lives. Packaging should be done carefully and perfectly so surfaces cannot touch, and send a known-good part alongside the failed one if you have it, because comparison frequently shortens the investigation.
It only depends on how many techniques the evidence demands to be resolved. A focused single-mode failure can be resolved in a few days, while a multi-technique investigation runs longer. Every quote includes a turnaround estimate, and we can prioritize a production hold.
An important conclusion supported by the evidence: the failure mode, the mechanism, annotated images and data, cited methods, and, where you want it, recommendations to prevent recurrence. Also, raw data is available on request.