Engineering Troubleshooting

Weld Failure Analysis -Closeup of Failed Wire Rope showing surface deformation

Engineering Troubleshooting - O'Donnell Consulting

Engineering Troubleshooting to Ensure Structural Integrity

Engineering troubleshooting on equipment including power, process & manufacturing, and designing subsequent solutions to operational issues – including thermal, corrosion, materials / weld, vibration and fatigue to ensure structural integrity.

Quite often finite element analysis and/or computational fluid dynamics is implemented to determine the root cause and develop solutions. Our engineers keep you compliant to Codes including AWS, API and ASME – maximizing equipment reliability and controlling your costs.

Shown here is the failure of a splined clutch power transmission shaft. This macrophotograph at 7x shows a broken tooth with simultaneous fatigue initiation at the root radius of each side of the tooth. Reverse loading ultimately lead to fatigue fracture.

Explore Portfolio for More of our Projects.

Failure Analysis on Transmission Gear
  • Recent Projects

  • Materials & Weld Engineering

    Our Engineering Team has the answers you need, based on over 30 years experience. We ensure continued reliable service through materials & weld testing and structural analysis.

    • Mechanical Testing provides ductility, strength, toughness, corrosion resistance, and fatigue properties of the as-fabricated materials – providing critical materials data in the prediction of when and how materials and assemblies will fail under various loading conditions.
    • Weld Engineering Services include joint analysis and procedure development and qualification, as well as investigating non-conformance and Code compliance. We provide assistance to keep you compliant with AWS, ASME and other relevant Engineering Codes including API / ASME-1 Fitness For Service.

    Examples Include:

    • Petrochemical
    • Transportation
    • Aerospace
    • Energy
    • Military
    • Steam Generators
    • Superheaters
    • Evaporators
    • Piping

    Metallurgical Evaluations

    Our engineering troubleshooting services include a full spectrum of metallurgical testing. This includes corrosion investigations, surface condition studies, mechanical and fracture mechanics testing. Read more about Metallurgy or Corrosion.

    Fatigue/ Fracture Analysis

    We perform fatigue and fracture analysis – providing practical repair solutions to keep you operational.
    Fatigue is one of the key contributing factors to the degradation of aging components. Fatigue failures occur when these structures are subjected to (mechanical and/or thermal) cyclic stresses and strains over time. This leads to the development of micro-cracks in the most highly strained locations, which subsequently propagate until the component fails. Read Introduction to Fatigue.
    Fracture Analysis is performed in determining residual strength in structures & repair urgency when new cracks are discovered – as well as in developing recommended inspection cycles.

    Forensic Analysis

    In some instances, technical issues may lead to litigation. In such cases, we provide Forensic Engineering Services to determine root cause, and develop results that are easily understood by Judges and Juries. 

     

    Should you Encounter Structural, Operational, or other Issues throughout Your Maintenance Cycle, Contact us – We’re Here to Assist.

    Engineering Troubleshooting Related Links

    >> Weld Troubleshooting/ Consulting
    >> Materials/ Metallurgy Consulting
    >> Introduction to Fracture Mechanics
    >> Portfolio of Engineering/ Troubleshooting Projects
    >> Equipment / Industries Served

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