Metallurgical Testing

MATCO’S location in Pittsburgh, a city built on metallurgy, ensures that the MATCO staff is deep and broad in metallurgical experience. We have people on staff with decades of experience with all the major steel companies, plus several of the specialty alloy manufacturers.

We have technicians skilled in preparing metallurgical cross sections of every kind of metal, plus application of the full range of etching techniques. And in addition to the traditional techniques based on reflected light microscopy, we also use a broad range of non-destructive testing techniques, including computerized radiography. We typically examine failures in the scanning electron microscope to augment the observations made metallographically and use energy-dispersive x-ray and even Auger spectroscopy to detect or confirm chemical contributions to the failure mechanism. Finally we have the full range of mechanical testing equipment to quantify the failure modes and rates. At MATCO, metallurgy is not only a life-work, it is a passion!

The MATCO team has experience working in many other fields; from design, implementation and monitoring of FEA analysis, corrosion investigations to failure analysis to remaining life determination. Some of our clients include Allegheny Energy, Valmont, California Edison, US Airways, First Energy and NY Power.

Please review the just released MATCO Case History entitled "A Re-Examination of Failure Analysis"

The following is a listing of the equipment on hand for sample preparation, examination and testing:

Sectioning:

• Buehler abrasive cut-off saw, 12” diameter blade
• Buehler Isomet low speed diamond saw
• Horizontal and vertical band saws
• Jeweler’s hand saws for precise sectioning of intricate parts

Mounting:

• Three Buehler mounting presses with a variety of hot compression mounting compounds
• Systems for Cold mount or epoxy vacuum impregnation of porous specimens or samples.
• Struers Abrapol automatic grinding/polishing system with capacity to hold up to 6 mounts
• Struers Dap-U polishing unit, 8” diameter disc

Light Microscopes:

• Nikon Optiphot Metallograph
• Olympus PME Metallograph
• Zeiss Metallograph
• Neophot-21 metallographer light microscope
• Nikon Stereomicroscope
• Meiji EMZ-TR Stereomicroscope

Scanning Electron Microscopes, X-ray diffraction and AES:

• AES & UHV Systems
• Simen's X-ray Diffraction Unit
• ETEC, ISI and JEOL Scanning Electron Microscopes
• IXRF and KEVEX-EDAX Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometers
• Light Element Detection
• Elemental Mapping/Line Scan Capabilities
• SPI Sputtering System
• AES/ESCA Elemental Depth Profiling

Other Specialized Instrumentation:

MATCO Services is your one stop source for virtually all metallographic services.  We have excellent material sectioning, mounting, preparation, and imaging capabilities, permitting us to handle anything from very large samples to small intricate parts.  For sectioning, a Buehler Isomet low speed diamond saw handles small samples and critical sectioning requirements, while a 12" Buehler abrasive saw takes of larger specimens.  Specimen mounting is an often overlooked yet very important part of the materials analysis procedure.  We can mount in a variety of hot compression materials utilizing our two Buehler mounting presses, or vacuum encapsulate the sample with cold mount epoxies.  In sample preparation, specimen flatness and edge retention are of paramount concern, and we do our utmost to ensure that these important criteria are met.  Our Struers Abrapol automatic polishing system not only assures consistent and repeatable results, but also enables MATCO to run large numbers of samples in a short period of time.  We have an extensive selection of metallographic supplies that enable us to follow optimum preparation preparation procedures for all types of materials.  The completed specimens may be examined with either our Nikon Optiphot or Olympus PME metallographs, both of which have a magnification range of 50x to 1000x.  Accurate photo documentation of the prepared sample is essential, and at MATCO we have a state of the art digital video camera adaptable to all of our microscopes and metallographs, making it simple to obtain and store digital images.  A powerful image refinement/enhancement system based on Adobe PhotoShop is used to perform many different types of quantitative measurements.  Coating thickness, particle distribution, and volume fraction are just a few of the quantitative analyses that can performed using our image analysis system.  Additionally, our two scanning electron microscopes with EDS systems further enhance our metallographic and analytical capabilities.  Whether you require simple imaging or complex.

Metallurgical and Failure Analysis Team

Our team is comprised of certified and experienced personnel from a variety of technical disciplines including: mechanical engineering, cathodic protection, paint and protective coatings, chemistry, metallurgy, and materials science.  We also have a vast array of laboratory and field testing equipment. All of MATCO's testing equipment is calibrated on a routine basis in accordance with both national and international standards, and is ready to be put to use at a moment's notice.

Our team includes professional engineers, metallurgical engineers, coating specialists, FEA specialists and NACE Certified Materials Selection/ Design / Corrosion/Coating Specialists (*) includes:

Dr. M. Zee (*)                                            Mr. Geoff Rhodes (*)

Dr. George Bayer                                      Dr. Huiping Xu

Mr. Ed Larkin                                            Mr. Marty Latona

Mr. Charlie Miller                                       Mr. Roger Joy

Dr. Kasraie, P.E.                                       Dr. Bavarian

An illustrated formal report documents the results of the investigation. If necessary, MATCO personnel can usually be on site almost immediately when requested during emergency situations.

We Value Our Customers... Throughout the years, we have noticed that much of our business comes from repeat customers. Our expertise and well-equipped lab can account for much of this, but we believe there is something more to it. We attribute it to the fact that we promote an open and friendly environment that is never too busy to meet your needs. At MATCO Services, we value your business whether you are a large corporation or a small enterprise. We will provide you with the attention you need and deserve. We invite you to visit us and get to know our staff, and share in the learning experience.

Why Choose MATCO Services? As one of the premier testing and failure analysis firms featuring state of the art equipment, MATCO is able to provide a unique and diverse blend of services. Thousands of investigations have been performed at MATCO, ranging from jet engines and boiler tubes, to computer components and implants. Projects are not only conducted on your schedule from initiation to completion with competent and experienced personnel, and conducted in a discrete manner that ensures confidentiality as well.

MATCO's Typical Projects

Although MATCO's work is vital to its clients, it is rarely seen by the public. Here are some examples of recent jobs in which MATCO provided the timely, competent, customer-oriented engineering analysis that made the difference.

Failure Analysis: Metallurgical support for a major commercial airline fleet (US Airways) that includes failure analysis investigations, corrosion investigations, and quality control testing. Bridge and construction failure investigations are routinly performed at MATCO.

Corrosion Engineering: Cathodic protection system design and installation for a submerged ocean tunnel for the off-loading facility of the largest liquified natural gas (LNG) process facility in the United States . Our certified team of corrosion investigators can perform testing to evaluate the integrity of pressure vessels. These include refineries, underground and above ground oil,  gas and chemical process facilities   Our team has performed such analyses nation and worldwide, and will travel to your project site at a moments notice for emergency evaluations.

Paint/Coating Analysis: On-site and laboratory investigation of paint delamination failures (flaking and peeling) on galvanized structural members of several major stadiums in the United States .

On-site Inspection: Our certified team of inspectors can perform non-destructive testing on project sites to evaluate the integrity of large structures.  Our team has performed such analyses nation and worldwide, and will travel to your project site at a moments notice for emergency evaluations.  Such large structure evaluations have included off-shore oil platforms, wind power generation towers, concrete domes and stadiums, large underground cooling systems, and large elevated water towers. Our projects have taken us from Aloha Stadium in Hawaii to Alyeska Ski Resort in Alaska; from bridges in the Bahamas to titanium structures in Tokyo, Japan and damage evaluation of hurrican in Florida. This project included roofing, siding, paint and internal water damage for a large structure.

Enviromental Testing: Comparative testing of the resistance of pharmaceutical labels to environmental stresses (MFG, Humidity, and QUV testing) for a major drug company to determine what labels held up the best.

Fire Investigation: Same-day analysis of the effects of a truck fire on the superstructure of a major highway bridge to determine whether or not the highway could remain open.

Explosion Investigations: Failure analysis of a gas main explosion that caused casualities.

Power Plants: Failure analysis and remaining life determination of boiler components in the power industry.

Implant  Materials: Electrochemical corrosion evaluation and failure analysis of implant materials such as hips, knees, stents, etc. to improve products and performance.

Galvanized Steel: How its microstructure and galvanized layer chemistry affect its appearance and corrosion resistance. Prevention and evaluation of storage rust, cracking of galvanized layer, failure of painted galvanized steel. Cabinet salt spray testing, EIS testing of painted galvanized steel and metallurgical characterization tests are routinly performed for galavanized and painted galvanized steel panels.

Utility and Light Poles & Lattices: Inspection and evaluation of galvanized, corten and painted carbon steel utility, light poles/lattices. Failure analysis, fatigue investigations, protective coating evaluation, life expectancy determination, corrosion evaluation, underground, ground level and above ground were included in this investigations

R&D: Research & Development of new materials, coatings and sensors for the pipeline, construction/chemical  industry.

MATCO is conveniently located halfway between the Pittsburgh International Airport and downtown Pittsburgh, and right off of the Parkway West (I-279/US22-30), so reaching our laboratories and offices is quick and easy. Please feel free to call to discuss your problems and arrange a visit to our laboratories.  You can always call MATCO at 1-800-221-9090 or Cell 412-952-9441 if you need emergency rush job.