When critical equipment fails, from a chain hoist to an aircraft part, operators want to find out what went wrong. Normal wear and tear, before a failure occurs, can also prompt tests to determine remaining service life for a part or system. A materials science and failure analysis engineer can investigate, digging deep to uncover the root cause of a failure or identify a potential malfunction. This expertise prevents loss of equipment or in extreme cases, loss of life.

Listen now as SwRI materials science and failure analysis engineer and metallurgist Dr. Mirella Vargas discusses what is revealed during a thorough analysis, down to the microstructure of metals and materials.