{"id":2233,"date":"2014-04-17T08:14:31","date_gmt":"2014-04-17T12:14:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/?p=2233"},"modified":"2026-01-26T16:41:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T16:41:35","slug":"nightmares-that-keeps-a-manufacturer-up-at-night-part-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/nightmares-that-keeps-a-manufacturer-up-at-night-part-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"Nightmares that Keeps a Manufacturer Up at Night, Part II"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our last article<\/a> discusses the urgency of ensuring product integrity by verifying the quality and composition of metals used in fabrication and manufacturing.\u00a0 X-ray fluorescence (XRF<\/a>) is a nondestructive testing technique that is helping industries with their positive material identification (PMI)<\/a> \u00a0efforts to help ensure that no incorrect or out-of-specification metal alloys caused by material mix-ups, lost traceability, incorrect weld chemistry and dilution, or even counterfeit materials enter the manufacturing process. Here are some examples of specific manufacturing areas where PMI is especially important:<\/p>\n

Critical Fasteners<\/strong>: In applications such as aerospace manufacturing, metal fasteners made with the wrong alloy can result in costly or even catastrophic consequences, as evidenced in documented cases of counterfeit fasteners<\/a> in industry. Different stainless steels have different degrees of corrosion resistance and with some metals, you can expect a reduction in yield strength at elevated temperatures.\u00a0 In the fasteners market, XRF is used for inspection of incoming raw material to ensure it matches the alloy grade and composition documented on the material test report prior to product manufacture. It is also used for final quality inspection before finished parts are sent to the customer. This \u201cdouble-check\u201d process helps ensure that the incoming raw materials and the outgoing finished parts meet the expected engineering requirements.<\/p>\n

Petroleum Refining:<\/strong> The consequences of using incorrect material in a process plant are well documented. According to data compiled by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)<\/a>, since May 1992, 32 fatality\/catastrophe incidents related to the release of highly hazardous chemicals have occurred in the petroleum refining industry. Many of these incidents occurred as a direct result of the use of incorrect alloy material in a critical process component. These incidents resulted in 52 employee deaths and 250 injuries, not to mention loss of revenue and substantial fines for the refineries and chemical plants involved. The requirement for PMI of alloy materials in refinery systems and petrochemical plant operations has grown dramatically over the past 20 years and Portable XRF Analyzers<\/a> have proven to be indispensible tools for isolating finished welds to validate filler material and dilution as well as PMI of process piping, valves, and reaction vessels, and determining the silicon content in steel as a predictor of susceptibility to sulfidic corrosion.<\/p>\n

Welding<\/strong> Electrodes<\/strong>: A welding electrode is a metal stick sometimes coated with powdered metals and minerals like nickel, manganese and iron.\u00a0 These electrodes, which are conduits for electricity, are used as a filler material in fusing two metal surfaces together. Different minerals are needed for different applications (which require different tensile strengths), so selecting the correct electrode is necessary for producing high-quality welds. Rods with the wrong additive element, or with incorrect amounts of the specified elements, can damage the work, leading to lost production time and costly rework. \u00a0XRF technology provides a quick quality check and positively identifies the electrode in question to help ensure weld strength and resistance to corrosion.<\/p>\n

With a current competitive manufacturing climate, and buyers looking to companies who produce products that live up to ISO standards<\/a>, manufacturers have to be vigilant about maintaining the quality of products that are going out their doors.\u00a0 With so many pieces and processes involved in making products, even the smallest deviation from specifications of items like raw materials, fasteners, and welds can affect the quality of the product and the reputation of the company.\u00a0 And it\u2019s all those little things that keep owners and quality assurance officers up at night.\u00a0 With a handheld XRF analyzer to instantly check for incorrect alloy materials, accurately verify alloy composition, and recover lost material traceability, maybe there will be less nightmares and more sweet dreams.<\/p>\n

Here’s a video of a manufacturer<\/a> who relies on an xrf analyzer as their last chance to verify the finished product against the bill of materials and help avoid catastrophes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our last article discusses the urgency of ensuring product integrity by verifying the quality and composition of metals used in fabrication and manufacturing.\u00a0 X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is a nondestructive testing technique that is helping industries with their positive material identification (PMI) \u00a0efforts to help ensure that no incorrect or out-of-specification metal alloys caused by material<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":13135,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[],"division":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2233","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manufacturing-quality-assurance","8":"category-positive-material-identification","9":"entry"},"_selected_authors":[1272],"_selected_reviewers":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nManufacturing 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Components such as fasteners, weld wire, tubing, bolts, and machined pieces are often difficult to analyze accurately. These parts are critical to operational safety and product integrity, yet their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Manufacturing Quality Assurance"","block_context":{"text":"Manufacturing Quality Assurance","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/manufacturing-quality-assurance\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"small metal fasteners","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-1087432242.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-1087432242.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-1087432242.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-1087432242.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-1087432242.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-1087432242.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13429,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/how-to-identify-aluminum-in-a-scrap-metal-recycling-yard\/","url_meta":{"origin":2233,"position":1},"title":"How to Identify Aluminum in a Scrap Metal Recycling Yard","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"May 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Identifying aluminum in a scrap metal recycling yard is more challenging than it might seem. While aluminum is one of the most widely used and recycled metals, its physical similarities to other materials, combined with the complexity of aluminum alloys, make accurate identification difficult. This challenge has significant implications for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General\/Industry"","block_context":{"text":"General\/Industry","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/general-industry-metals\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Scrap metal pieces laying in a pile","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-133993685_scrapaluminum.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-133993685_scrapaluminum.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-133993685_scrapaluminum.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-133993685_scrapaluminum.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-133993685_scrapaluminum.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-133993685_scrapaluminum.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13545,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/how-to-maximize-productivity-in-lightweight-metal-scrap-sorting-at-recycling-facilities\/","url_meta":{"origin":2233,"position":2},"title":"How to Maximize Productivity in Lightweight Metal Scrap Sorting at Recycling Facilities","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"May 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Addressing the Challenge of Lightweight Alloy Identification Lightweight metal scrap sorting\u2014especially for aluminum and magnesium alloys\u2014presents a unique operational challenge. While these materials are essential to modern manufacturing and recycling streams, their similar compositions make them difficult to distinguish quickly and accurately. Traditional sorting methods often force a trade-off between\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General\/Industry"","block_context":{"text":"General\/Industry","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/general-industry-metals\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Compacted aluminum scraps","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-163265634_alumscrapblocks-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-163265634_alumscrapblocks-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-163265634_alumscrapblocks-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-163265634_alumscrapblocks-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-163265634_alumscrapblocks-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-163265634_alumscrapblocks-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13598,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/how-rhodium-plating-impacts-gold-xrf-analysis-and-karat-verification\/","url_meta":{"origin":2233,"position":3},"title":"How Rhodium Plating Impacts Gold XRF Analysis and Karat Verification","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"July 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary Accurate gold analysis is essential for jewelry verification, precious metals trading, refining, and quality control. One of the most widely used methods for determining gold content is X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis, a non-destructive testing technique that quickly evaluates metal composition. However, rhodium plating\u2014a common surface treatment used on white\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Metals & Alloys"","block_context":{"text":"Metals & Alloys","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/metals-and-alloys\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Banner of a cube symbolizing element number 45 of the periodic table. Rhodium. 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Those who have bought an engagement\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Precious Metals"","block_context":{"text":"Precious Metals","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/precious-metals\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"ring in box with Valentine heart decorations","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/istock-96917265_valentinejewelry.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/istock-96917265_valentinejewelry.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/istock-96917265_valentinejewelry.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/istock-96917265_valentinejewelry.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1733,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/heres-a-free-periodic-table-for-your-halloween-goody-bag\/","url_meta":{"origin":2233,"position":5},"title":"Here’s a Free Periodic Table for Your Halloween Goody-Bag","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane, Editor","date":"October 30, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"No tricks here. Download this handy periodic table and X-ray energy reference guide to help in analyzing your metals samples. \u00a0It's our treat. Then visit our Steel Manufacturing and Precious Metals Analysis\u00a0 pages for more goodies. 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