Given the wide range and competitive nature of industries using metal products, it’s unsurprising that metal parts manufacturers are always looking for ways to stand out and win over clients.
Naturally, selecting the right materials for their products, testing them, and constantly improving designs play a big role in achieving that goal.
All of these processes can be made easier with the help of metallurgical analysis.
How? We’ll explain in this article.
So, if you want to find out how metallurgical analysis can be used to improve the quality of custom metal parts, read on.
Choosing the right material for a metal product is an essential step of the design and development phase.
After all, the material choice can make or break the metal part or structure.
This is where metallurgical analysis comes in.
It is a detailed examination of a metal’s physical properties to ensure the quality, reliability, and durability of the metal for its intended use.
Some of the material properties that metallurgists or material engineers consider during the analysis include:
Companies can use microstructural analysis methods to predict how a specific metal will perform.
This method involves examining the internal structure of metals using techniques such as metallography, electron backscatter diffraction, and x-ray diffraction.
As part of the microstructural analysis, metallurgists observe metal grain size, which informs of the metal’s hardness and strength, as well as metal phases, which indicate the material’s hardness and ductility.
Selecting the most suitable metal for a specific application becomes much easier with this information on hand.
Ensuring that metal parts are of the highest quality, consistent, and free of defects is key to fulfilling client expectations for quality and reliability.
Just as importantly, metal parts manufacturers need to meet industry and regulatory requirements.
So, it is no surprise that quality control is another area in which metallurgical analysis shines.
Namely, using metallurgical analysis methods—such as microscopic analysis—helps ensure that faulty metal parts never reach the market.
As the name suggests, microscopic analysis involves the use of microscopes to examine the surface of the metal sample, identifying defects that could influence the quality of the final product.
This method is also used to evaluate the structural integrity of the metal product after it has been subjected to welding, for example.
During the welding process, various defects, such as cracks, porosity, and impurities can occur.
Cracks can compromise the strength of the metal product, making it more susceptible to failure and ultimately leading to safety hazards and additional costs.
Another metallurgical analysis method that is often used in quality control is chemical analysis.
This technique provides insight into whether there are any contaminants or impurities present that could compromise the quality of the final product.
The choice of the most appropriate metallurgical analysis method will vary on a case-by-case basis, but one thing is for sure: metallurgical analysis has the power to prevent costly and potentially dangerous quality issues and failures ahead of time.
Sometimes metal products and components do fail.
In such cases, metallurgical analysis is used to determine what caused the failure to occur, allowing failure analysts to get to the root cause of the issue.
But before employing any metallurgical analysis methods, it is necessary to go back to the beginning and ask questions like:
Armed with answers to these questions, any additional drawings and documentation, and the product itself, it is possible to conduct a proper, well-informed failure analysis.
As far as methods for performing failure analysis go, there are several routes to choose from.
Upon visual examination, failure analysts can opt for non-destructive testing (NDT), including macro- and microscopic examination, or destructive evaluation, like metallographic examination or chemical analysis.
Let’s look at an example.
In a case study where the failure of a crane bolt was analyzed, both microscopic examination and chemical analysis were performed.
While the microscopic examination didn’t provide definitive answers about what went wrong, the chemical analysis revealed that the carbon content of the broken bolt was below the SAE standards for a grade 5 bolt.
Overall, the failure analysis concluded that the failure occurred as a result of high cycle, low load fatigue.
This example alone goes to show that metallurgical failure analysis is an extremely valuable tool.
Understanding how, when, and why failure occurred is essential for improving metal manufacturing processes and enhancing product quality, ultimately preventing failure from reoccurring.
Reverse engineering identifies the materials and processing steps that were used to manufacture a part or component.
Imagine a situation where a metal part or a component needs to be replaced, but the specifications for manufacturing it are no longer available.
Or a scenario where you want to analyze a competitor’s product and understand which manufacturing processes they used so that you can improve your own.
In such cases, using metallurgical analysis—the chemical analysis method in particular—to reverse engineer the answers you’re looking for is a solid option.
Chemical analysis helps reveal the chemical composition of metal parts, allowing you to decipher which alloy components were used and in which quantities.
Once it has been performed, not only do you get a full breakdown of the “ingredients”, but also an understanding of how they interact with each other.
This, in turn, can help you to:
Overall, using metallurgical analysis methods for reverse engineering can help you manufacture metal parts that are higher quality and more cost-effective, ultimately giving you a competitive edge.
The verdict is clear.
If you want to verify your metal products are made of the right materials, ensure that they’re of the highest quality, and prevent their failure, metallurgical analysis is going to be your strongest ally.
However, with a plethora of metallurgical analysis methods available and their complexity, it is advisable to reach out to seasoned custom metal parts manufacturers.
Thanks to their experience and expertise in the industry, they can provide guidance on which analysis methods would suit your needs best and ensure you end up with metal products that will make your business stand out.
For more information about our custom metal casting molds and other capabilities, contact us directly via the convenient website form or request a quote here. We welcome your inquiries.
From a contract manufacturing firm, BuntyLLC evolved into a full service custom machined, forged and cast metal parts fabrication enterprise. We supply global solutions from our headquarters in Greenville, South Carolina.
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