Plastic Failures: Prediction, Prevention & Solutions

Prevent plastics component's failure by understanding the top 3 root causes & implementing corrective actions right from the start.

Let expert Jeffrey who has done over 1470 failure analysis help you avoid failure by explaining the leading causes & solutions:

• Improper material selection (chemical contact, mechanical properties)
• Ignoring the effects of time (creep rupture, ESC)
• Deficiencies caused by the injection molding process (under-crystallization, physical defects)

Course Outline

• Module 01:

  Overview of Plastic Failure

• Module 02:

  Plastic Performance Factors

• Module 03:

  Leading Causes of Plastic Failure & their Prevention Strategies

  a. Improper Material Selection
  
  i. Thermal Characteristics
  ii. Chemical Contact
  iii. Mechanical Properties
  
  b. Ignoring the Effects of Time
  
  i. Creep and Creep Rupture
  ii. Stress Relaxation
  
  c. Deficiencies Caused by the Injection Molding Process
  
  i. Molecular Degradation
  ii. Poor Fusion / Knit Lines
  iii. Crystallinity
  iv. Voids / Inclusions

• Module 04:

  Conclusions

Eliminate creep at early stages and prevent your plastic parts from cracking, warping, or deforming over time. Get the right tools to spot creep, predict how your plastics will perform over time, and design parts that last longer, even under continuous stress. 

Jeffrey A. Jansen will provide proven methods to mitigate or eliminate creep, ensuring the long-term reliability of your plastics parts. Join the course to:

• Spot Creep Before It Spreads: Identify visual signs and failure patterns, and connect them to the root causes before they escalate into recalls or breakdowns.
• Best use testing and Prediction strategies: Use creep testing and analytical techniques to forecast how your part will perform over months or years and avoid underestimating your material’s limits.
• Get real-life case studies: Analyze actual product failures and discover how to implement effective prevention strategies.

Course Outline

• Module 01:

  Introduction to Creep Rupture

  • Viscoelasticity - Fundamental Behavior of Plastics
  • Creep as a Time-Dependent Deformation under Constant Stress   
  • Creep and Ductile-to-Brittle Transitions   
• Module 02:

  Creep Failure Mechanism

  • Role of Crazing in Creep Failure    
  • Influence of Constant Strain Loadings (Interference Fits, etc.)   
  • Apparent Strength Reduction Over Time   
  • Key Factors Affecting Creep

  1. Polymer Type and Formulation (including additives)   
  2. Stress Type and Magnitude    
  3. Temperature   
  4. Part Features / Stress Concentrations (e.g., corners, notches, knit lines)   

  • Creep Resistance vs. Creep Rupture Resistance   
  • Visual indicators of creep failure (e.g., cracking patterns, lack of ductility)   
  • Distinguishing creep failure from other failure modes
• Module 03:

  Creep Testing

  • Standard Creep Testing Methods (e.g., ASTM D2990)   
  • Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) and Time-Temperature Superposition
• Module 04:

  Analytical Testing Techniques Used to Understand the Creep Performance of a Plastic

  • Using FEA for stress analysis (and its limitations in predicting creep)   
  • Microscopic analysis (SEM) of creep fracture surfaces   
  • Material characterization techniques (FTIR, DSC, TGA)   
• Module 05:

  Prevention Strategies

  • Material Selection Guidelines for Creep Resistance   
  • Design Optimization for Creep Mitigation (stress reduction, etc.)   
  • Assembly Considerations to Reduce Internal Stresses   
• Module 06:

  Real-life Case Studies involving failures due to creep and setting up effective prevention measures

  • Button caps
  • Hex caps
  • Tip up
  • Industrial fan
  • Sensor
  • Electrical connector
• Module 07:

  Conclusions & Key Takeaways

Ever wondered why plastic parts sometimes crack unexpectedly? It can be due to environmental stress cracking (ESC). This course will equip you to tackle ESC and ensure your plastic parts last longer.

Delve into the different ways plastic parts can fail and how to predict when such failures might occur. Move your way up to practical strategies for preventing ESC. These strategies will focus on three key areas:

• Choosing the right plastic material: We'll explore how selecting the most suitable plastic for the job can significantly reduce the risk of ESC.
• Optimizing part design: You'll learn how design considerations can minimize stress on plastic parts, making them more resistant to cracking.
• Understanding the environment: We'll discuss the importance of considering the environmental factors that can contribute to ESC, such as temperature and exposure to chemicals.

Learn from real-life examples and ensure your plastic parts last longer!

Course Outline

• Module 01:

  Introduction to ESC

  • Plastics Failure Mechanism
  • ESC Failure Mechanism
• Module 02:

  Why do Plastic Parts Crack?

  • Polymer structure and its influence on ESC
  • The role of stress, strain, and environmental factors
  • Ductile Overload Cracking Model
  • Ductile to Brittle Transition
• Module 03:

  Elements of Prediction of ESC

  • Material selection: Polymer composition and ESC resistance (amorphous vs. crystalline, molecular weight)
  • Stress Levels (Internal and External)
  • Stress Concentration Factors
  • Temperature
  • Exposure Time
• Module 04:

  Practical Considerations to Reduce ESC Occurrence

• Module 05:

  ESCR Test Methods

  • ASTM D1693
  • Critical strain
  • Fracture mechanics & others
• Module 06:

  Similar Failures to ESC

  • Crack Tip Dissolution
  • Solvation/Plasticization
  • Dissolution
• Module 07:

  Practical Case Studies on Automotive, Hardware & Medical Plastic Parts

  • Reviewing Failure Mode, Cause & Suggesting Recommendations

Efficiently solve existing plastic failures and set up a better prevention strategy by prioritizing your efforts in detecting the real cause of failure in your plastic part.

Jeff Jansen will share practical strategies to generate the right data from your failure tests (FTIR, DSC, TGA...) and further help you best combine & interpret results by discussing step-by-step analysis of real cases.

Course Outline

• Module 01:

  Failure Analysis Approach

  • Flowchart depicting steps for efficient analysis
• Module 02:

  Analytical techniques used in Failure Analysis (FTIR, DSC, TGA, Gas Chromatography, Mechanical Testing, etc.):

  • Generating the right data
  • Key differences between different tests, when to use what?
  • Practical strategies to best combine data from different tests
  • Identifying primary vs. secondary causes
• Module 03:

  Strategies for prevention of different failures

  • Life performance factors (stress, temperature, time, etc.)
  • Monitoring plastic property loss
  • Prediction methods: accelerated testing, creep, etc.
  • Limitations
• Module 04:

  Step-by-step analysis of real-life case studies

  • Failure due to manufacturing, design, molding, and field use in electrical, medical, automotive, and other applications.