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A Brief Review of Metallurgical Failure Analysis in Elevators

Components
Milad Rahimian
Koosha Applied Science and Technology University
Abstract:
The objective of this paper is to introduce the reader to the causes generally
followed when conducting a metallurgical failure analysis. Due to the large
number, of possible causes of failures, this report will not delve deeply into
theory. Instead, five failure case reports are provided to allow the reader to learn
by example. For this reason, the reader is expected to have some background
knowledge of failure mechanisms. However, the paper includes a detailed
bibliography containing several sources that were used during my summer
employment to help carry out these cases. This five cases have been chosen to
illustrate the happenings of metallurgical failures exist in elevator components.
These items include fatigue failure analysis of doors spring, drive shaft, casing
elevator, chain wheel shaft break and hoisting steel wire ropes.
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Introduction:

In real world failure analyses, multiple modes and mechanisms may be present in a damaged
component. A thorough investigation is critical to ensure that all damage is found and
documented. Critical evidence can be missed if the analyst stops after finding a single mode.
Next, it is necessary to determine which mechanism is primary and which is/are secondary.
The primary mechanism is the one responsible for the failure (i.e., if the primary failure
mechanism did not occur, then failure would not have occurred). Secondary failure
mechanisms can be divided into three categories [1-ASM metals Hand Book vol. 11, 2005]:

Mechanisms that were induced because of the presence of the primary failure
mechanism or came from the same root cause as the primary mechanism
Independent mechanisms that contributed to failure. For example, such mechanisms
may have contributed by accelerating the time or severity of failure.
Mechanisms that were present but unrelated to the failure
One common categorization method is to divide potential damage mechanisms among four
categories of failure modes [1-ASM metals Hand Book vol. 11, 2005]:
Distortion
Fracture
Corrosion
Wear
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Common Metallurgical Failures in Elevators

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