Component failure is usually due to a sequence or combination of events which can initiate from the design and choice of materials through to manufacturing processing and assembly including the application of heat, welding and grinding, as well as machining and distortion of the part due to bending, rolling or forging.
In services conditions can also contribute to the failure of a part such as variation in temperature and environmental conditions, uneven, high or low cyclic loads or stress profile, compression, torsion and bending as well as foreign object damage. Matching the maintenance needs of the component to its operating conditions and environment is also important to reduce the effects of ageing and wear.
Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies support every stage of the manufacturing process from design and new manufacture through to in service maintenance, metal repair and overhaul of components – our metal repair and component protection services increase the strength and performance of parts and reducing costs and downtime.
What Causes Component Failure?
The table below gives a brief overview of typical components that we process, what failures they are susceptible to and the component protection available to prevent failure.
Note: Failure Modes and Solutions may be relevant for some or all of the components.
Aero-Engine
Blade roots Air foils Tie wire holes Propeller blades Turbine discs and blisks and drums Rotating rings Engine mounting brackets PTO Gears
Internal bores and surfaces Oil well drill pipes Cooling tubes – water walls and heat exchangers Transmission shaft oil holes Steam generator roll transition zone Plastic pallet transportation
Failure modes
Corrosion Stress corrosion cracking High temperature corrosion Fatigue Fretting Galling Angel hair effect