Material inspection and failure analysis are two complementary processes that, when used together, provide a powerful tool for ensuring product reliability, safety, and performance. Our advanced optical and scanning electron microscopy capabilities deliver the detail you need for quality control, material analysis, and research.
Material inspection is a proactive measure used to assess material or coating quality before it’s used, while failure analysis is a reactive process used to investigate why a coating or component failed. We can help you see what really matters.
Visualise morphology and understand composition at the micro-scale. Our service delivers high-resolution imaging and elemental analysis to support materials development, quality control and failure investigation.
Material quality inspection ensures that powders used and coating or components produced meet the required specifications and standards, preventing defective materials from entering the production process.
Many industries, such as aerospace and nuclear energy devices, have strict regulatory standards. Material inspection ensures compliance with these regulations.
We can support you to evaluate new suppliers and new batches of materials to ensure they provide high-quality materials consistently.
Microscopy plays a crucial role in the analysis and development of hardmetal powders and coated components. It allows our team and yours to observe surface morphology, identify defects and verify microstructures with clarity and confidence.
At Powderloop, we use high-resolution imaging systems and analytical software to support a wide range of applications, including additive manufacturing, coating development and R&D. All imaging is carried out in-house for faster turnaround and reliable quality checks.
We use the Hitachi TM4000Plus II, an advanced table-top SEM that allows for easy, versatile imaging of a wide range of sample types, including non-conductive and hydrated materials. Key benefits include:
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Magnification (Photo) | 10x to 100,000x |
| Magnification (Display) | 25x to 250,000x |
| Accelerating Voltage | 5 kV, 10 kV, 15 kV |
| Signal Detection | SE, BSE, Combined (SE+BSE) |
| Max Sample Size | 80 mm diameter, 50 mm thickness |
| Electron Source | Tungsten filament |
| Analysis (EDS) System | Oxford Aztec x-ray detector |