Outsource vs In-House Materials Testing
Routine, high-volume mechanical tests such as tensile and hardness are frequently brought in-house because equipment is well understood and turnaround matters for production. Failure analysis, advanced characterization (SEM/EDS, XRD, CT), accredited certification testing and infrequent methods are commonly outsourced to specialist laboratories.
Often kept in-house
- Incoming material and lot-release tensile/hardness
- Dimensional and visual inspection
- Simple metallographic checks
Often outsourced
- Failure analysis and fractography
- Advanced characterization and chemistry
- Accredited testing for customer certification
- Fatigue and long-duration testing
Questions to answer before buying equipment
- Which methods or standards must the laboratory run, and at what edition?
- What sample types, sizes and annual volumes are expected?
- Are accredited (ISO/IEC 17025) results required for customers or regulators?
- What utilities, floor loading, ventilation and environmental control does the space provide today?
- Who will calibrate, service and qualify the equipment, and how quickly can they respond?
- Would outsourcing some work until volumes justify the investment be more economical?
Common questions
- Do in-house tensile results satisfy customers?
- Some customers accept them under your quality system; others require results from an accredited laboratory. Check purchase order and specification requirements.