Published by WFFT-55 TV on 3/25/2026.
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Purdue University Fort Wayne unveiled a new Metallography and Failure Analysis Laboratory, aimed at giving students hands on experience with advanced materials testing while supporting regional industry needs.
The lab, located in the School of Polytechnic, features specialized equipment including a scanning electron microscope and a 3D optical microscope.
Staff say the facility will strengthen workforce development by allowing students to work directly with tools and processes used in industry.
“We’re all going to win from this-the students will win because they’re actually touching very technical programming,” limited term lecturer, Jonathan Hall said.
Hall says the lab is designed to connect students with real world applications.
“The local community will be better off,” Hall said. “Companies that have real issues that they can’t solve any other way can come on and we’ll have the students help them out.”
The laboratory was funded in part by a nearly million-dollar donation from the Don Wood Foundation, supporting new equipment and expanded research capabilities.
Students in the program are already using the lab to complete projects involving material testing and failure analysis.
“We’ve been using this abrasive saw, which essentially cuts really big objects into small ones,” said Trey Brady, a senior. “We cut a ball bearing into quarters, and then we heat treated it using a furnace.”
After preparation, samples are analyzed under microscopes to study internal structures and identify potential defects.
“What that tells us is how the metal is formed, if we made any mistakes, or if there’s any deficiencies inside the metal,” Brady said.
The process mirrors challenges faced in manufacturing and engineering fields, where identifying material failure is critical.
Another student, Austin Hall, said the experience will directly translate to future careers.
“My specialty is on the optical microscope over there,” Hall said. “It’s a 3D microscope that can take different elevations of images and stitch them together.”
Hall thinks the technology is especially useful in quality control.
“It’s going to be great for quality control,” Hall said.
Staff say the lab provides students with a competitive advantage by combining theory with hands on practice.
“You have to section it, you have to polish it, you have to grind it correctly,” Jonathan Hall said. “They need to be able to go from A to Z and do it correctly.”
The university also expects the lab to serve as a resource for local companies seeking advanced materials analysis and collaboration with students.