Practical Services for Effective Results

Download PDF version

A costly industry problem

Component failure in any industry can be costly in terms of downtime, repair, and worker injury. Metallurgical forensic investigation pinpoints the reasons for component failure and helps prevent recurrence. Kinectrics can provide expert metallurgical assistance in our laboratories, or at your site with our unique field services.

Engineering components such as tubes, pipes, pumps, valves, turbines, generators, welded structures and bridges can "fail" in various ways. They may crack, break, distort, or suffer excessive wear or corrosion. These failures can cause serious damage to equipment, threaten worker safety, and incur major repair costs.

The cause of the failure must be determined accurately in order to prevent recurrence. Determining appropriate study locations and methodology for extracting samples and other evidence is critical in obtaining accurate answers.

Practical solutions

Kinectrics has the broad-based technical expertise, backed by comprehensive laboratory facilities, to offer you a complete range of metallurgical services to investigate failures and assess the condition of components for further service. Our on-site capabilities: replication, hardness testing, chemical composition analysis, can be employed to provide rapid answers or augment laboratory investigations.

Broad-based expertise

Kinectrics has a wide range of failure investigation experience applicable to utilities, energy services companies, and numerous industries including process, petrochemical, pipeline, aerospace, transportation, metalworking, and pulp and paper.

Our team also specializes in the assessment and life extension of high temperature pipes, vessels, and associated welded joints in steam-raising plant. In conjunction with specialized laboratory techniques, we offer in situ metallurgical inspection using surface replication. Replication is a technique that permits surface examination of material microstructure. After preparing the component surface, an exact molded copy of the microstructure is made and examined—without removing bulk samples.

Complete capabilities

Kinectrics is a "one-stop shop" for all your metallurgical assessment needs. Other specialized Kinectrics services, facilities, and personnel are also available. Our team offers a full range of tests and services to meet your specific needs, including:

• Component failure analysis, material compositional analysis, mechanical property tests
• Microstructural examination using optical metallography, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and orientation imaging microscopy
• Specialized tests including fatigue, creep, and fracture toughness,
• Field services including in situ metallography, portable hardness testing, sample removal, and compositional analysis
• Assessment of major components in boilers, pressure vessels, turbines, generators, heat exchangers, pumps, valves and more
• Creep damage assessment and life extension of high temperature components such as tubes, headers, piping and associated welded joints
• Inspection and analysis of power transmission line components, conductors, hardware, and structures
• Assessment, monitoring and simulation of corrosion and environmental degradation of materials
• Welding procedure qualification
• Materials engineering advice on selection and specification of alternate materials and processes, maintenance procedures and frequency/type of inspections
• Kinectrics’ laboratories are licensed by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to handle radioactive materials

Rapid Response Metallurgical Services

Kinectrics delivers detailed results in minimal turnaround time for lab-based investigations. For remote locations such as pipelines and accident sites, or if a component must be returned to service immediately, Kinectrics can provide on-site flaw assessment services to provide results almost immediately. A variety of non-destructive metallurgical techniques are available, including portable hardness testing, chemical composition analysis and replication

Kinectrics offers value-added service for maintenance and inspection programs in providing accurate test results and comprehensive reports on suspect components. Confidentiality for procedures, test results and equipment is guaranteed.

For more information, contact

Allan Jarvine, 416.207.6000 x5785, allan.jarvine@kinectrics.com