Failure Analysis & Thin-Film Development
From failure analysis to a production-ready thin-film solution
When a component fails because of wear, friction, adhesion loss, corrosion, oxidation, thermal exposure, or another surface-related problem, identifying the damage is only the beginning.
Surface Engineering Technologies combines failure analysis, thin-film design, coating deposition, testing, and process development to help customers move from a failed component or performance challenge toward a practical surface-engineering solution.
Whether your part has already failed or you are designing a new product and want to prevent future failure, our engineering team can help evaluate the problem, identify the most likely causes, and determine whether a thin film or surface treatment can improve performance.
Whether your part has already failed
or you’re designing a new product and want to prevent failure,
we can help.
Our Solutions
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For components that have already experienced damage, performance loss, or premature failure
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For new products, uncoated components, or applications where a future wear, corrosion, adhesion, friction, thermal, or electrical problem is expected
Solve a Failure
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Typical surface coating problems we see include:
Excessive wear
High friction
Galling or sticking
Coating peeling or delamination
Poor coating adhesion
Cracking or chipping
Corrosion or oxidation
Chemical surface attack
Thermal degradation
Electrical contact or surface-resistance problems
Aerospace and space-environment exposure
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Our engineers review the component, operating conditions, substrate, existing coating, and available failure history.
The objective is not simply to name a failure mode. We develop a ranked assessment of the most likely causes, identify the evidence supporting each possibility, and recommend practical corrective actions.
When appropriate, we can also design and test a thin-film solution intended to reduce the likelihood of recurrence.
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Initial Screening → Inspection → Testing → Ranked Failure Assessment → Corrective Recommendations → Coating Development (if needed)
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Not all projects need an in-depth analysis. Choose from:
Technical Assessment – Focused engineering review with a concise summary of findings, likely failure causes, recommendations, and suggested next steps.
Formal Failure Analysis Report – Comprehensive technical report with inspection results, failure mechanisms, supporting evidence, corrective actions, and coating recommendations (scope defined in quotation).
Design a Surface Solution
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Depending on the project, SET may:
Recommend an existing coating
Compare several coating options
Modify an existing coating system
Adjust coating thickness or interlayer design
Develop a new coating architecture
Produce coated test samples
Define a validation plan
Prepare a pilot batch for customer evaluation
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Our engineers review the component, operating conditions, substrate, existing coating, and available failure history.
We then translate the application challenge into measurable surface-performance targets.
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Application Review → Performance Targets → Coating Selection or Design → Coating Trials → Validation → Pilot Batch → Production
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Choose from the below level of support or contact us to customize an engagement to your needs.
Thin-Film Selection & Adaptation – Selection and optimization of existing coatings, including coating comparisons, process adjustments, and evaluation samples.
Custom Thin-Film Development – Development of new or highly customized coating systems through feasibility, testing, validation, and pilot production.
Process Review & Technology Support – Expert review and optimization of coating processes, with recommendations ranging from process improvements to implementation support and documentation.
Our Approach
The application changes. The engineering challenge doesn't.
Aerospace
Aviation
Manufacturing
Medical
Marine
Mining
Automotive
Electronics
Why Work with SET?
SET combines failure investigation, surface engineering, thin-film material selection, custom coating design, in-house deposition, testing and validation, pilot coating, and production capability.
Our goal is to create a practical path from understanding the problem to implementing a surface solution.