What Is Failure Analysis?
Dealing with failure analysis is like solving a puzzle. In actual service, when materials, parts, or components fail, the fundamental problem is not just identifying what happened but why it happened and how to avoid its recurrence.
At Covalent, our experts are skilled problem solvers. We combine scientific knowledge with the most advanced analytical tools to identify underlying causes such as cracking, corrosion, deterioration of coatings, or polymer degradation.
Our specialists not only detect failure. We convert troublesome results to proactive high-precision insights that maintain performance and flow down your line. From semiconductors and metals all the way through to ceramics and composites, the Covalent Failure Analysis Laboratory offers insights and solutions so you can innovate with confidence.
Why Failure Analysis Is Important
Every unresolved material failure poses system-wide risks, including warranty headaches, costly recalls, and potential safety incidents. To mitigate these risks, consult an expert at Covalent to integrate failure analysis and quality control into your product development lifecycle from the outset instead of waiting for failures to manifest in the field.
Our diverse failure analysis and quality control services will help you to:
- Zero in on defects before they escalate.
- Boost product reliability across life cycles.
- Integrate engineering failure analysis into your QA workflows.
- Ensure industry and regulatory compliance.
Partner with Covalent to safeguard your product integrity, so you can relax and focus on scaling what matters: reputation, performance, and bottom line.
When Do You Need Failure Analysis?
Timely intervention is the key to preventing repeated failures or damage. You should consider consulting our failure analysis lab when:
- A material fails unexpectedly during operation.
- Cracking, corrosion, or fatigue surfaces on your metals or polymers.
- Significant performance drop under environmental or mechanical stress.
- Defective material detected during internal QA or returned under warranty.
Whether it’s metal failure analysis or polymer-specific investigations, early diagnostics make all the difference.
Common Types of Failure Analysis
- Mechanical and Fracture Analysis: Focuses on identifying cracking modes by examining fracture surfaces & deformation patterns. Techniques like SEM & profilometry are usually used for analysis.
- Corrosion and Environmental Analysis: Evaluates how chemical or environmental exposure altered the material surface or microstructure. Investigations use microscopy & surface chemistry tools to understand degradation pathways.
- Manufacturing Defect Analysis: Aims to locate inclusions, voids, porosity, or poor interfaces that originate from production processes. Cross-sectional imaging & compositional methods are used to trace the defect & understand its impact on performance.
- Chemical and Molecular Degradation Analysis: Examines changes in molecular structure due to oxidation, hydrolysis, UV exposure, or reaction. Spectroscopic techniques such as FTIR, Raman, or XPS help determine the process.
- Thermal and Processing Analysis: Evaluates how temperature cycles, overheating, or residual stress affect the material. Methods like DSC, TGA, XRD stress analysis, & microstructure imaging reveal thermal damage.
- Electrical and Electronic Analysis: Focuses on identifying damage mechanisms such as ESD, electromigration, & dielectric breakdown by inspecting conductive paths & insulating layers. High-resolution imaging, FIB cross-sections, & electrical characterization help map the progression of electrically driven degradation.
- Contamination Analysis: Identifies foreign particles, films, or unexpected elements that interfere with mechanical, electrical, or chemical performance. Surface & bulk techniques like EDS, XPS, FTIR, ICP-MS are used for investigation.
Factors Influencing Failure Analysis Frequency
It is important to know when to consult for a failure test to avoid downtime and ensure reliability.
Covalent can support your quality assurance programs by integrating our failure analysis laboratory data into your QA cycle to identify red flags early.
Best Practices for Effective Failure Analysis
- Define the problem and understand the context through client discussion:
- Background review: service conditions, design specs, and history of the issue.
- Understand your process, capture failure timeline and symptoms.
- Define and validate scope, urgency, and success criteria.
- Hypothesize potential failure mechanisms and present an action plan.
- Gather evidence:
- Collect failed parts, reference samples, and related documentation.
- Ensure proper chain of custody for sensitive or legal cases.
- Document condition through photos, measurements, and baseline tests.
- Collect data and perform additional analysis as needed:
- Apply the most suitable analytical tools (SEM, EDS, FTIR, X-ray, etc.).
- Simulate operating conditions if needed.
- Compare with baseline or reference materials.
- Comprehensively analyze all the information gathered:
- Correlate lab data with real-world usage and known failure mechanisms.
- Identify root caluse and contributing factors.
- Validate through repeat testing or cross-method confirmation.
- Report findings and validate the hypotheses.
- Recommend Solutions/ Corrective actions.
Industries That Benefit From Failure Analysis
Aerospace and Defense
From fatigue and corrosion cracking in structural alloys to composite delamination and electronics or PCB failures under thermal cycling, Covalent’s failure analysis team delivers root cause clarity using targeted microscopy, cross sections, and electrical and chemical characterization.
Manufacturing
Whether it is low yield, process excursions, contamination, or joint and interface defects, Covalent applies a structured failure analysis workflow from non destructive inspection through destructive cross sections and SEM EDS to isolate the defect, validate hypotheses, and drive corrective actions.
Semiconductor
From Interconnect wire pulls and delamination to dielectric breakdown, our failure analysis lab closes in on micro-voids, contaminant particles, and packaging flaws.
Medical Devices
Be it a catheter leak, implant surface pitting, or sterilization-driven polymer fractures, Covalent’s metallurgical failure analysis and mechanical failure analysis ensure patient safety and regulatory compliance.
Energy
We diagnose stress-rupture culprits and corrosion pathways like a pro, so energy professionals can keep those turbines spinning and pipelines flowing.
Consumer Electronics
Battery short circuits? Solder-joint fractures or plastic housing cracks? Our X-ray imaging, XPS, and SEM/EDS expertise will unearth the root cause before the recall bites.
Commonly Used Techniques for Failure Analysis
Why Choose Covalent for Your Failure Analysis Needs?
Covalent combines advanced instrumentation with deep materials science expertise to identify failure modes across metals, polymers, ceramics, and complex assemblies. Our team evaluates the optical, chemical, physical, and electrical properties of materials and devices, translating complex findings into clear root-cause insights and actionable recommendations that help you resolve issues quickly and move forward with confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a turnaround time?
Typically, we are sending a report within 5 days; however, we have the option to expedite the rush level of the job to a 1-day TAT.
Are you providing the service of disassembly of failed parts and preparing samples for different testing?
Yes, our experienced team will take care of all stages of sample preparation.
What are the warning signs that I need Failure Analysis right away?
You may need failure analysis right away if you notice unexpected device or material performance issues such as sudden breakdowns, abnormal electrical or mechanical behavior, or unexplained contamination or defects. Other warning signs include recurring failures despite process controls, visible cracks or delamination, and critical yield losses.
Can you help with litigation or insurance claims?
Yes. FA results can be used to support forensic investigations for insurance, warranty disputes, intellectual property protection, and legal proceedings. A detailed, documented report with high-resolution imagery and expert interpretation is provided.
What information should I include when submitting a failed sample?
Include as much context as possible:
- Service conditions (temperature, load, chemicals).
- How long the part was in use.
- Observed failure symptoms.
- Drawings/specs (if available).
- Safety documentation (if relevant).