Avoiding the risk of critical component failure

摘要

Critical component failures often make the headlines, whether occurring at sea, underground, in mid-air or in production plants. Faulty pipes, valves, shafts, gears, couplings and other engineered components give rise to safety, environmental, productivity and financial issues, some catastrophic. These failures might result from design, manufacturing and assembly errors, inadequate quality assurance or unforeseen operating conditions, but sometimes they relate just to substandard materials and improper processing treatments.