Product Failure Analysis
The customer contacted The Polymer Lab for help in determining why a plastic locking component that was assembled into their product was cracking during normal use. The customer purchased the component from an outside supplier. The prototypes that they originally tested proved to be very robust. The specified material was Nylon 6/6.

DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) and FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry) testing performed by The Polymer Lab showed that the components were molded of ABS, not Nylon 6/6 as specified. The undisclosed material change by the component supplier proved to be the reason for the product failure. As a result of this discovery, new parts were molded from Nylon 6/6. Our lab confirmed that the new parts were indeed Nylon 6/6. When the customer tested the new parts, they performed as well as the initial prototypes.

Incoming Raw Material Verification
A plastic processor uses The Polymer Lab to verify incoming materials for ongoing Quality Assurance. At the beginning of this process, a control sample was tested and scans were developed for comparison purposes. Test results from new samples are compared to the electronic benchmark scans from the control sample. Through this procedure, any changes to the material composition or any contamination is readily seen. Various methods are used in incoming inspection, including: DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry), FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), Melt Flow Rate, and Ash content.

This continuous monitoring program has identified a number of raw material concerns. For example, in one case the material did not include the required flame retardant additive, and in another, the amount of glass filler content did not match the specified percentage. These material quality issues, left undetected, would have resulted in rejected parts, expensive warranty claims and possibly, product recall. Since the materials were never processed into finished product, the customer saved both time and money. They protected their quality reputation with their customers as well.

Product Failure Analysis
During routine impact testing of an overmolded fiberglass tool handle, a significant number of handles shattered on initial impact. In previous testing, the handles only developed a crack after multiple impacts. The specified material was glass fiber reinforced Nylon 6. The customer brought their problem to The Polymer Lab to identify the cause of the test failure.

DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) and Ash Content analysis verified that the material was Nylon 6, as specified. The next step was to analyze the material for degradation through RV (Relative Viscosity) testing. This analysis showed a 40% change in relative viscosity from virgin material to finished part. The specified change limit was 20%. The material had been severely degraded during processing.

The process was then adjusted, new parts molded and samples sent to The Polymer Lab for degradation analysis. The new parts showed only a 7% change in RV, putting them well within the limit. The new parts passed the impact test without shattering.

Reverse Engineering
A customer who manufactures agricultural equipment was purchasing a plastic assembly from an outside supplier who suddenly went out of business. The customer did not know what materials were used in the assembly so could not respecify the product with another vendor. The Polymer Lab was contacted to reverse engineer all components of the assembly in order to identify the materials.

DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry), FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), and Ash Content testing were used to successfully identify all seven of the material types in the assembly. With this information, the customer was able to provide the needed information to their new supplier.