What is Why Parts Fail training?

Why Parts Fail is a one-day mechanical failure analysis course that teaches reliability engineers and principal analysts how to identify failure modes by reading fractured surfaces and physical evidence. It builds the technical knowledge needed to verify hypotheses accurately during a root cause analysis.

What are the four main mechanical failure modes?

The four primary failure modes are fatigue, overload, erosion, and corrosion. Fatigue accounts for over 90% of mechanical failures across most industries and is identifiable by progression marks on a fractured surface. Knowing which mode caused a failure determines which verification techniques and corrective actions are appropriate.

What does reading a fracture surface tell you?

A fracture surface reveals how a component failed — whether through gradual fatigue, sudden overload, or combined loading. Progression marks indicate fatigue. The size of the final fracture zone indicates load magnitude. The origin point identifies the stress riser. This physical evidence is what separates a verified hypothesis from an assumption.

What power transmission failure modes are covered?

The course covers failure modes in shafts, gears, belts, and couplings — including fatigue fractures from misalignment, overload failures from improper operation, and wear patterns from inadequate lubrication or contamination. Analysts learn to distinguish between failure modes that indicate a maintenance decision error versus a design or installation error.

Do principal analysts need to be mechanical experts to use this knowledge?

No. The course is designed to give analysts enough knowledge to recognize failure patterns, know which analytical technique applies, and identify who to involve for deeper verification — not to make them metallurgists. The goal is informed judgment: knowing when physical evidence confirms a hypothesis versus when a specialist is needed.

Who should take Why Parts Fail training?

The course is recommended for principal analysts and lead investigators who conduct field RCAs and need to interpret physical evidence as part of hypothesis verification. It is also valuable for reliability engineers who want to strengthen the technical foundation of their investigations. No prerequisites are required.

How long is the Why Parts Fail course?

Why Parts Fail is structured as three two-hour sessions — a full day of instruction — delivered in person or via interactive virtual format. It is a certification course with no prerequisites, designed specifically for analysts who will be expected to identify and verify mechanical failure modes in the field.

In Person

Online

1 Day

Certification Course

No Prerequisites

Why Parts Fail

The Mechanical FSI course enhances the analyst’s ability to follow the discipline of the PROACT® methodology by increasing the individual’s internal practical and theoretical mechanical knowledge.

Individual Training

Train Your Team

CEU Eligible

Topics Covered:

Mechanical failure modes with in depth examples of fatigue, overload, erosion and corrosion

Course Description:

This course provides an understanding of how to verify hypotheses developed in RCA. Sessions are made to teach attendees how to identify mechanical failure modes by reading fracture surfaces.

Part of a principal analyst’s role is to be aware of technology available for verifying. They do not necessarily have to be an expert in the “how to” but rather they must know when to apply a certain technology and who can do it.

This is three two-hour sessions which is recommended for lead investigators who will be expected to perform RCA in the field.

Course Objective:

Terminal Objectives:
The attendee will:

Recognize failure patterns from fractured surfaces of physical components.
Determine when to use certain analytical techniques in the course of an RCA.
Put Failure Analysis verification techniques in the context of an overall approach to Root Cause Analysis.

Enabling Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:

Recognize fatigue, ductile, brittle, and torsion failures.
Recognize ball and roller bearing failure/modes.
Recognize power transmission failure/modes.

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this course, you will learn:

Recognize failure patterns from fractured surfaces of physical components. Determine when to use certain analytical techniques in the course of an RCA.
Put Failure Analysis verification techniques in the context of an overall approach to Root Cause Analysis.
Recognize fatigue, ductile, brittle, and torsion failures.
Recognize ball and roller bearing failure/modes.
Recognize power transmission failure/modes.

Individual Training

Train Your Team

Next Steps on Your RCA Journey

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Frequently Asked Questions

Fatigue failure occurs when a component fractures after repeated stress cycles below its theoretical breaking point. It accounts for roughly 90% of all mechanical failures and is almost always the result of a prior decision — misalignment, improper installation, lubrication failure — rather than a defective part. If in doubt about a failure mode, fatigue is the statistically correct first hypothesis.

An analyst who can read physical evidence independently can verify or eliminate hypotheses without relying entirely on vendors or specialists — who have inherent bias toward protecting their products. Understanding failure modes also prevents the common error of accepting a plausible-sounding cause without evidence, which is the primary reason RCAs produce findings that don't prevent recurrence.

The course covers ball and roller bearing failure modes including contamination, overloading, misalignment, and improper lubrication. Contamination is the leading cause of bearing failure — as little as 0.002% water in lubricant can significantly reduce bearing life. Recognizing the physical signatures of each failure mode allows analysts to trace the cause back to the decision that produced it.