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While the rapid growth of additive manufacturing (AM) technology has helped engineers in many industries create innovative new component designs, the unique characteristics of raw metallic and non-metallic powders has created significant materials testing challenges.

A range of high-stakes industries – such as automotive, aerospace, and power generation – require components that function reliably even in extreme temperatures. To ensure these parts can withstand temperature-driven stresses without fracturing, damage, or failure, it’s crucial for manufacturers to subject parts and components to a range of fatigue testing prior to implementation.

Determining the beneficial characteristics and potential limitations of your material in advance of production can be a crucial step toward the ultimate success of your design. The presence of unexpected trace elements occasionally occurs due to environmental exposure or other factors. The presence of trace constituents may alter the predicted properties and performance of a material.

These 4 basic tests reveal a variety of results for evaluating your nonmetallic material.

Density/Specific Gravity

IMR Test Labs has grown into one of the world's leading additive manufacturing materials testing labs in the world.  Our multi-disciplinary approach, consisting of chemical analysis, mechanical testing and metallurgical evaluation enables us to offer a "one-stop" testing hub for everything from raw materials to finished products.  Watch our video to be introduced to our various testing departments and the methods they employ .

When people think of additive manufacturing, many conjure up an image of high-intensity laser beams melting shapes into a bed of thinly layered metal powder.  While this is the best and most appropriate method for many types of products and parts, it's only one of many that additive manufacturers have at their disposal.  To decide on which is the best method, you have to start at the end: whatever the part or product's final application will be.

While the rapid growth of additive manufacturing (AM) technology has helped engineers in many industries create innovative new component designs, the unusual nature of the necessary raw materials and the resulting printed structures has created significant materials testing challenges. 

Pipeline operators and energy transmission companies are working to comply with the PHMSA 2017 Final Rule regarding Pipeline Integrity testing and management.

When preparing testing samples for composites and non-metallic engineered materials, there are many advantages to waterjet cutting.

Corrosion risks can be largely mitigated through proper raw material and protective coating testing before incorporating them into your product's design and manufacturing processes.

In the medical industry, contamination is more than an inconvenience—it can be deadly. To ensure biocompatibility of medical devices, tools, and implants, we have developed a comprehensive list of analytical methods to identify potential threats. These processes support the research and practices that create medical marvels every day.

Fiber-reinforced composites are now widely used across a range of industries as they provide a lightweight alternative to metals and other heavier raw materials. However, manufacturers that use composites must ensure that such materials can meet the requirements of a given application. Failing to do so risks real-world failure, which can have disastrous consequences resulting in injury, recalls, or even litigation.

For equipment that operates in harsh or demanding environments, thermal spray coatings offer a secondary layer of protection against environmental conditions and contamination on new parts, or a restorative layer to extend the service life of a worn component.

Fatigue, one of the most common mechanisms leading to component failure, refers to the cracking or deformation that occurs in materials as a result of exposure to stress cycles. This stress comes in many different forms, such as compression, expansion, tension, or torsion. If undergoing significant cyclical stress, even highly ductile materials may be subject to fatigue failure over time.

As non-metallic fabrication materials such as polymers, ceramics, fiber-reinforced composites, and coatings continue to see increased usage in manufacturing applications where metallic materials are too heavy or too susceptible to corrosion, it’s important that stakeholders ranging from design engineers to procurement professionals understand the various problems and limitations that can arise if materials are not carefully selected. This understanding can be achieved through comprehensive failure analysis testing.

There are myriad reasons why a non-metallic material might fail; These vary widely based on the specific material, the application for which it is intended, and the environment to which it is exposed. Thorough fatigue testing is the best way to determine in advance if a material will be suitable for specific operational conditions. When necessary, failure analysis can also determine why a design failed after the fact.

Choosing the wrong coatings for manufacturing parts and components can place significant strain on your bottom line by leading to continuous repairs, replacements, and downtime.

In the medical industry, contamination is more than an inconvenience—it can be deadly. In order to ensure top biocompatibility performance from medical devices, tools, and implants, testing labs have developed a long list of analytical methods to identify potential threats. These processes support the research and practices that create medical marvels every day.

We received two sections of 304 stainless steel pipe along with samples of insulation, strapping, two process fluids, and a water sample from the DI system used to mix the fluids for failure analysis.

One of our clients was dealing with a component that fractured during routine testing. After internal reviews proved inconclusive, it called on IMR to conduct a failure analysis to determine the problem.

Fatigue testing applies the kinds of stresses that a product will experience while in use to evaluate its ability to resist failure. During testing, the product is subjected to various types of stresses over a series of usage cycles until the specimen fails. The results can then be expressed as an S/n curve (stress vs. number of cycles to failure), which can in turn be used to estimate the product’s working life.