Failure Analysis on an Automobile Power Steering Pump

The automobile power steering pump failure was an accident caused by multiple parts fracture coexistence. Means such as chemical compositions analysis, hardness test, macro and micro analysis, scanning electron microscopy and energy spectrum analysis, as well as other approaches were used to analyze the failure causes of an automobile power steering pump. According to the results obtained from physical testing and chemical analysis, and considering the functions and load capacity of each part when the pump was in operation, it was found out that the blade was the primary fracture part, and the reason for the blade fracture was that there were severe long string shape inclusion defect in the blade.