Metal fatigue is the common name used to describe the unexpected failure of metal parts by progressive fracturing while in service. The article is a basic introduction to the mechanism of metal fatigue failure. An introduction into accepted theories is provided and relevant design practices to reduce metal fatigue are presented and explained.
To understand why a part or equipment failed, how it failed must be first diagnosed. Different failure modes such as fatigue, brittle, and corrosion all have very different causes and very different solutions. If an investigation were to guess at the failure mode and guess wrongly, the planned remediation may not address the true cause of failure and additional failures may occur. This article considers three failed chain links and demonstrates the importance of identifying how something failed.
Supply and demand out of phase, finished goods and raw materials supply chains disrupted, energy costs instability, and skilled workers shortages are all common concerns across the globe. Solutions for relief are paramount. In these troubling times of global financial uncertainty any improvements in how we operate our equipment is sought. It is said that the product of asset management (AM) is reliability, that is, poor management equals poor reliability and good management practices will provide good equipment reliability.
The Edison Principal has been developed to solve America’s $1.2 trillion corrosion expense by replacing visible rust with black light active fluorescence. Edison Principal is an analogy based on the failure indicator of the common light bulb invented by Thomas Edison.
What is the difference between Brinelling and False Brinelling? What causes Brinelling and False Brinelling? Brinelling is an indentation in the surface of a material; a permanent plastic deformation that occurs when the yield strength of the material has been exceeded.
Why do components fail? – This article explains common failure mechanisms, component types to which each applies, and suggests non-intrusive monitoring techniques to discover components in various stages of progressive failure.
Linear and nonlinear vibrations as they pertain to machinery vibration monitoring are not hard concepts to grasp when properly explained. Alian Friedman of Zenco – Vibration Experts, explains the concepts in an easy-to-understand, non-mathematical way.
Costly oversights occur repeatedly despite thoughtful planning dedicated to maximizing the operation and lifespan of the motor. One unsettling realization is that testing, considered part and parcel of preventive maintenance, is not preventing anything because there is nothing to indicate that analyzing the data was even considered. This is a major pitfall and a classic example of a gap in a company’s motor management program.
A fault tree is constructed starting with the final failure and progressively tracing each cause that led to the previous cause. This continues till the trail can be traced back no further. Each result of a cause must clearly flow from its predecessor (the one before it). If it is clear that a step is missing between causes it is added in and evidence looked for to support its presence. Below is a sample fault tree for the moral story of the kingdom lost because of a missing horseshoe nail.
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Torbjorn Idhammar is the blog manager for MaintenanceWorld.com.
A maintenance and reliability management consultant, Torbjorn has spent 25+ years in the profession and provides advice to clients around the world.
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She is responsible for reviewing submitted content for the site and ensuring that it provides value to the readers of the site.
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