Prof. Itzhak Roman

Failure and Event Investigation Expert

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General view of mammography unit and pulley lifting mechanism
General view of mammography unit and pulley lifting mechanism
Schematic diagram of spiral pulley and cable unit
Schematic diagram of spiral pulley and cable unit
Tear area - spikes of seperately torn wires
Tear area - spikes of seperately torn wires
Horizontal fractures of the wires
Horizontal fractures of the wires
Fractography of the wire fracture face (SEM)
Fractography of the wire fracture face (SEM)
Fractography of the wire fracture face (SEM)
Fractography of the wire fracture face (SEM)

Failure analysis of a mammography unit

October 22, 2013 by Itzhak Roman

In this investigation the imaging head of a mammography unit suddenly dropped due to a failure of the steel cable lifting mechanism. 

Investigation of the damaged steel cable and the spiral pulley showed that the cable condition has deteriorated over a long time period during which single wires tore due to fatigue, while the remaining wires tore due to overload. The cable rails inside the pulley were also damaged due to cable motion outside the rails.

These findings pointed us to believe that unit cables were improperly assembled on the pulley, leadng to fatigue and mechanical damages to the puley and cables, and resulting in failure of the system.

 

 

October 22, 2013 /Itzhak Roman
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