The systematic failure analysis process — visual examination, fractography, metallography, and chemical analysis — plus how to separate a genuine root cause from contributing factors and translate findings into real design, material, and process changes.
A real failure analysis follows physical evidence in a fixed order, not a theory the investigator already believed before opening the case. This module builds that sequence from the ground up: background and evidence collection, macroscopic fractography (beach marks, chevron marks, ductile versus brittle fracture surfaces), microscopic fractography under SEM (striations, dimples, cleavage facets, intergranular fracture), metallography, and chemical and hardness analysis.
By the end of this module you should be able to explain why confirming a fracture mechanism is only half the job — and why distinguishing a genuine root cause from a contributing factor is what actually determines whether a design change, a material change, or a process change is the correct corrective action, a distinction Module 14's material selection and Module 15's manufacturing content both depend on.