I work in materials testing so when a material doesn’t perform as expected, I get to go into troubleshooting mode. If all my equipment and a self-critique of my test procedures checks out, then we start looking into the material itself. If it’s a raw material, was there a flaw or inclusion in the sample itself? Does that flaw permeate through the rest of the supplied material? We’ll work with the supplier to figure out the issue. If I’m testing a fastener, are there clues in the way it’s manufactured that might indicate a problem? Was it heat treated properly?
Testing failures are disruptive and usually end up causing manufacturing delays and wrecking deadlines. It doesn’t happen often but when it does all our brains kick into high gear.
I work in materials testing so when a material doesn’t perform as expected, I get to go into troubleshooting mode. If all my equipment and a self-critique of my test procedures checks out, then we start looking into the material itself. If it’s a raw material, was there a flaw or inclusion in the sample itself? Does that flaw permeate through the rest of the supplied material? We’ll work with the supplier to figure out the issue. If I’m testing a fastener, are there clues in the way it’s manufactured that might indicate a problem? Was it heat treated properly?
Testing failures are disruptive and usually end up causing manufacturing delays and wrecking deadlines. It doesn’t happen often but when it does all our brains kick into high gear.