Read Consulting was asked to perform plastic failure analysis on a broken pickup truck tailgate latch. Attached are a series of photographs demonstrating the latch and the cause of failure. The latch is mostly held to the back gate with two machine screws that are screwed into PEM inserts pushed into bosses when the plastic […]
Failure Analysis Lab Examines a Failed Plastic Chair
California failure analysis laboratory performed a failure analysis on a failed plastic chair. A 190 pound man sat in it and the right leg broke under him. This was a brittle plastic failure that went along a molding weld line. The fracture surface shows brittle failure in bending.