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Failure and materials analysis at the heart of industrial reliability

For industrial players, every component counts and every failure can have major consequences for production. Failure and materials analysis addresses these key challenges. With the recent acquisition of the Continental Automotive France laboratory, Sopemea (a subsidiary of the Apave Group) is strengthening its expertise in Toulouse in this cutting-edge field, which is essential for product reliability and performance.

A new area of expertise:

failure and materials analysis

Failure and materials analysis is the Sherlock Holmes of engineering. It involves understanding why a product or component has failed, or why it is likely to fail. The failure analysis laboratory plays a key role in validating the hypotheses formulated during an analytical process by providing tangible evidence of actual or potential failure modes.

At the heart of this key activity is investigation. Failure and materials analysis experts use sophisticated analytical techniques to conduct their investigations:

  • Electronic board inspection: Sopemea's experts meticulously examine printed circuit boards to detect manufacturing defects, faulty soldering or damaged components that could cause failures leading to production line stoppages.

  • Micro-sections and dimensional measurements: by making precise metallographic cuts of materials and components and performing high-precision measurements, Sopemea can analyse the internal structure of materials, the thickness of coatings or the geometry of components to identify anomalies.

  • Advanced imaging techniques: using 2D/3D X-rays, our teams can visualise the interior of parts without destroying them, thereby detecting cracks, inclusions or assembly defects that are invisible to the naked eye. Electron microscopy, meanwhile, provides nanometric-scale analysis, enabling us to understand the microstructure of materials and their elemental composition and identify the root causes of failure.

  • Technical cleanliness analysis: this crucial field involves detecting and identifying microscopic contaminants (particles, organic residues, ionic contamination) that could affect the performance or service life of components, particularly in sensitive systems such as electronics or hydraulics.

A high precision skill

dedicated to innovation and product reliability

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Failure analysis is much more than a technical autopsy. It is an essential lever for continuous product improvement. By identifying the root causes of problems, engineers can design more robust, reliable and high-performance products. This profession contributes directly to solving production problems, avoiding costly downtime and product recalls. Finally, it is fundamental to the qualification of new materials, ensuring that they meet the most stringent requirements before being integrated into complex systems.

Failure and materials analysis is the cornerstone of quality and safety in cutting-edge industries such as automotive, aerospace, defence and medical. It is a profession that requires rigour and precision, as well as expert analytical skills.

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Choosing

Sopemea

one

A COMPLETE SERVICE OFFER ADAPTED TO YOUR NEEDS

Ongoing multidisciplinary R&D expertise. The possibility of carrying out your test campaigns and responding to your problems of numerical simulations and expert measurements.
two

MORE THAN 75 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

Technical competence and regulatory knowledge of each of our clients' sectors of activity. COFRAC accreditation for our laboratories in France, UKAS in the UK.
three

A LOCAL NETWORK

A wide range of test facilities and calculation centres to advise you from the early stages of your project to the completion of your tests.

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