Metallurgical Failure of Equipment and Systems Investigations

Forensic engineering services to determine the root cause of metallurgical failure of equipment and systems.

Intertek provides forensic metallurgy failure investigation services and expertise to support clients having problems with mechanical, metallurgical, civil, structural, chemical, electrical, material science, corrosion, and welding engineering issues.

Intertek metallurgical technical capabilities include laboratory techniques such as macro-imaging and micro-imaging, fractography, machining, welding, metallurgical mounting, optical and scanning electron microscopy, hardness testing, and mechanical testing. Field techniques include videoprobe, magnetic particle testing, ultrasonic testing, metallurgical surface replication, crack depth measurement, acoustic emission, Barkhausen noise analysis, pulsed eddy current, and portable alloy analyzer. Specialized techniques are available for specific metallurgical damage mechanisms, such as fatigue, brittle fracture, ductile fracture, erosion, hydrogen-induced cracking, creep damage, stress corrosion cracking, corrosion, material defects, welding defects and high temperature hydrogen attack.

Intertek can provide on-site examination and documentation, evidence control and storage, field-testing, laboratory testing, finite element and other computer-aided modeling and analysis techniques, forensic economic analysis, animation and court exhibit design and production, and expert witness testimony. 

Metallurgical forensic investigation expertise is drawn from our business units in the Power Generation, Petrochemical, Nuclear and Construction, Aviation and Transportation industries, as well as our network of qualified consultants.