Alloy Failure and Fatigue
November 30, 2008Metal alloys are used throughout modern machining processes and are one of the oldest ways metals have been used by humans.
Bronze and Stainless Steel
For example, bronze (an industrial metal of choice for thousands of years around the world) is an alloy of tin and copper. It is still used today for many purposes including in bells (where 15-20% tin is used) and statues (where 2-20% tin is used). Bronze is also non-sparking (so bronze tools can be used in areas where there is a risk of fire) and it also generates minimal friction.
More modern alloys include corrosion resistant stainless steel. Stainless steel has additions of chromium and (in Austenitic steel, which comprises roughly 70% of all stainless steel produced) carbon and nickel or manganese.
Alloy Failure
Although alloys are generally more resilient than other types of materials (depending on how and where they are used) they do fail sometimes. According to a study at the University of Michigan (2008, October 2, Why Metal Alloys Degrade and Fail) they fail because of their molecular structures.
Basically when alloys are formed the separate elements mix together in crystal grains, within these grains are patterns made up of atoms. These atomic patterns are not perfect though, there are some empty spaces called vacancies. And atoms, within the alloy, move into and out of the vacancies in a process called diffusion which can cause changes in the structure of the material over time. This diffusion rate varies depending on the elements that make up the alloy.
Prevention
At the Dynamic Machine Corporation we are fully aware of fatigue problem in alloys. We go to great lengths to be pro-active in dealing with machining and industrial equipment especially.
By setting up a regular schedule of examination and preventative maintenance we at Dynamic Machine can fix problems – hopefully before they occur. For example, by using our Rockwell Automation Entek IRD dataPAC 1500 unit, we can run on-site vibrational analysis. After several reports this will frequently allow us to predict a failure point before it happens.
We can also perform resurfacing, milling, straightening, welding, balancing, surface grinding, gear cutting and rebuilding, build Babbitt bearings and perform align boring.
So no matter what goes wrong with your machinery we, at Dynamic Machine, can fix it.