Failure Analysis

Physical damage of a machine, whether caused by incorrect design or installation, improper use or friction and wear have an enormous cost to industries of all types. These costs come in many forms.  The operational lifespan of the machine can be greatly reduced leading to downtime and costly repairs. Friction and wear and surface degradation, for example, is the cause of over 70% of the ‘loss of usefulness’ of machinery, according to a study conducted by Emeritus Professor Ernest Rabinowicz.

Not only that, but machinery that is not working to the best of its ability, can directly affect energy consumption. In fact, over time, unaddressed machinery issues can result in the complete failure of critical components or pieces of machinery/equipment.

When a company is facing a failure it’s to Neale Engineering Consultants they can turn.

 

A complete service

At Neale Consulting Engineers we offer an engineering and mechanical failure analysis service that takes a multi-step approach to determine how and why a failure has occurred. Our experts across mechanical engineering, tribology, metallurgy and materials science all have a part to play in understanding why problems occur.

And as part of our analyses, we always aim to provide recommendations and actions to prevent the recurrence of any issues.

 

Evidence gathering

Our failure analysis process begins with the meticulous collection of technical information, failure history and forensic examination of components. Whether it’s a general engineering fault or one caused by friction and wear, our engineers, tribologists, metallurgists and material scientists will get to the root cause.

 

Testing and modelling

Depending on the nature of the failure, the next step in our process involves the examination of the failure evidence and the reconstruction of the likely sequence of events leading to failure. 

This often leads to a number of possible causes which we then examine in more detail. Where necessary, we will conduct modelling using wear models (e.g. the sliding model and energy model), finite element analysis (FEA) or dimensionless analysis. 

Where possible, our investigations take place ‘on-site’, however, we are occasionally able to investigate remotely from photography, video and descriptive evidence.

 

Reporting

Following the determination of the root cause(s) of the failure, we will provide you with a detailed report setting out the mechanisms of failure along with recommendations to remediate the failure/prevent it from happening again. 

 

Multidisciplinary engineering expertise

When you work with Neale Consulting Engineers you don’t just gain access to industry-leading engineering expertise. 

Neale Consulting Engineers is able to draw upon the expertise of metallurgists, FEM / CFD specialists, materials scientists and more. 

In short; you gain access to a pool of expertise that can more readily determine the root causes of your machinery / plant failure. 

Given that we are backed by Brookes Bell, it also means that Neale Consulting Engineers has a global footprint; we are able to send experts to your location at short notice and conduct on-the-ground investigations. 

 

Choose Neale Consulting Engineers

Not only are we able to find the answers you need, but provide recommendations and solutions that will deliver meaningful benefits for your business, reducing downtime, prolonging the serviceable life of machinery and more. 

In addition to failure analysis, we are also able to offer a design evaluation and optimisation service and are able to act as an expert witness in the case of arbitration etc.

 

If you want to determine the root cause(s) of the failure of a piece of machinery or plant, then speak to Neale Consulting Engineers today.