Problems We Solve
Component failure is usually due to a sequence or combination of events which can initiate from the design and choice of materials through to manufacturing processing and assembly including the application of heat, welding and grinding, as well as machining and distortion of the part due to bending, rolling or forging.
In services conditions can also contribute to the failure of a part such as variation in temperature and environmental conditions, uneven, high or low cyclic loads or stress profile, compression, torsion and bending as well as foreign object damage. Matching the maintenance needs of the component to its operating conditions and environment is also important to reduce the effects of ageing and wear.
Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies support every stage of the manufacturing process from design and new manufacture through to in service maintenance, metal repair and overhaul of components – our metal repair and component protection services increase the strength and performance of parts and reducing costs and downtime.
What Causes Component Failure?
The table below gives a brief overview of typical components that we process, what failures they are susceptible to and the component protection available to prevent failure.
Note: Failure Modes and Solutions may be relevant for some or all of the components.
Aero-Engine
Blade roots
Air foils
Tie wire holes
Propeller blades
Turbine discs and blisks and drums
Rotating rings
Engine mounting brackets
PTO Gears
Failure modes
Fretting
Galling
Fatigue
Contact fatigue
Corrosion
Stress corrosion cracking
Micro cracking
Foreign object damage
Erosion
Water droplet erosion
Solutions
Controlled shot peening
Laser shock peening
C.A.S.E. isotropic superfinishing
Thermal spray coatings
Liquid coatings
Aero Landing Gear
Failure modes
Foreign object damage
Temperature variation
Fatigue
Tensile stresses from hard chroming process
Stress corrosion cracking
Fretting
Galling
Solutions
Controlled shot peening
HVOF WC coating
Airframe
Wing skins
Fasteners
Fuselage
Stringers
Spars
Bulkheads
Bolts
Failure modes
Fatigue
Flexural bending fatigue
Stress corrosion cracking
Lighting strike
Solutions
Controlled shot peening
Shot peen forming
Laser peening
Laser peen forming
Connecting Rods
Bore fillets
Feed rollers
Bearing races
Screw and oil holes
Contact faces
Radii’s
Failure modes
Residual compressive stress
Fatigue
Solutions
Controlled shot peening
Crankshafts, Camshafts, Axles
Crank pin bearing fillet
Keyways
Splines
Shear sections
Torsion bars
CV joint windows
Gears
Drive shafts
Failure modes
Fatigue cracking
Contact fatigue
Pitting
Solutions
Controlled shot peening
Laser Peening
C.A.S.E. isotropic superfinishing
Exhaust Stacks and Manifold Adapters
Flanges
Holders
Weldings
Failure modes
Heat variation
Solutions
Controlled shot peening
Laser Peening
Gas and Steam Turbines
Blade roots
Air foils
Diaphragm couplings
Rotors
Fir tree grooves
Locking nuts
Failure modes
Fretting
Cavitation erosion
Water droplet erosion
Fatigue
Stress corrosion cracking
Solutions
Controlled shot peening
Laser shock peening
Thermal spray – HVOF, Plasma and Flame spray
Gears and Gear Systems
Fillet at root
Flanks
Failure modes
Macro and micro pitting
Fretting
Fatigue
Solutions
Controlled shot peening
C.A.S.E. isotropic
superfinishing
Medical Implants
Hip joints
Medical screws
Bars
Failure modes
Fatigue
Stress corrosion cracking
Fretting
Environmental attack
Solutions
Parylene coating
Controlled shot peening
Laser peening
Pipes and Tubes
Internal bores and surfaces
Oil well drill pipes
Cooling tubes – water walls and heat exchangers
Transmission shaft oil holes
Steam generator roll transition zone
Plastic pallet transportation
Failure modes
Corrosion
Stress corrosion cracking
High temperature corrosion
Fatigue
Fretting
Galling
Angel hair effect
Solutions
Controlled shot peening
Liquid coatings
Thermal spray coatings
Thermal barrier coatings
Springs
Compression/tension coil springs
Valve springs
Torsion springs
Disc springs
Leaf springs
Failure modes
Fatigue
Fretting
Corrosion
Solutions
Controlled shot peening
Liquid coatings
Steam and Gas Turbines
Blade roots
Air foils
Diaphragm couplings
Rotors
Fir tree grooves
Locking nuts
Failure modes
Fretting
Cavitation erosion
Water droplet erosion
Fatigue
Stress corrosion cracking
Solutions
Controlled shot peening
Laser shock peening
Thermal spray – HVOF, Plasma and flame spray
Valves for Compressors and Pumps
Flapper valves
Seals
Failure modes
Fatigue
Solutions
Controlled shot peening
C.A.S.E. isotropic
superfinishing
Welded Components and Fabrications
Fillet weld toe profile
HAZ (Heat affected zone)
Failure modes
Fatigue
Stress corrosion cracking
Solutions
Controlled shot peening
Laser peening
Subsea Components and Structures
Christmas tree structures
Welds – heat affected zones
Seals
Connectors
Valves
Fasteners, threads and shafts
Failure modes
Environmental corrosion
Stress corrosion cracking
Pressure and hydrogen cracking
Galling
Fretting
Solutions
Controlled shot peening
Liquid coatings
Thermal Spray coatings
Cathodic protection
Zinc phosphate coatings