๐ Medical Devices Fastener Stack - Hydrogen embrittlement in high-temperature condensate
Industry: Medical Devices ยท Severity: Critical ยท Mechanism: Hydrogen embrittlement ยท Risk: 96/100
๐งพ Summary
A fastener stack used in a medical devices application shows hydrogen embrittlement risk after exposure to high-temperature condensate. The design review focuses on material pairing, geometry, coating coverage, inspection access, and realistic validation testing.
โ ๏ธ Design Risk
Likely weak points include local electrolyte retention, incompatible material pairing, coating discontinuities, trapped debris, and missing acceptance criteria for corrosion validation.
๐ ๏ธ Recommended Controls
Recommended controls: coating specification upgrade, drainage path redesign, and passivation requirement. Add drawing notes, supplier evidence requirements, and a validation plan that reflects the expected service environment.
๐ Learning Notes
Learners should identify the corrosion mechanism, estimate severity, and decide whether prevention should come from material change, coating change, geometry change, sealing, isolation, or inspection planning.