Case 843 ยท Public preview
Continuous Plating Can Prove a Strength-Reducing Pit Came First
Gold-plated Nitinol support loops fractured during production or normal assembly handling.
SEM fractographyEDSMetallographic sectioningFailed-to-lot comparisonPlating examinationAlloy-composition assessment
What the evidence preview establishes
Large pits formed in the Nitinol wire before gold plating and reduced the load-bearing cross-section until the remaining metal failed by ductile rupture. The condition was associated with a pre-plating process anomaly rather than an alloy difference.
Why this case matters
A plated defect is not necessarily a plating defect. Continuous coating over a cavity establishes sequence: the substrate was already damaged before deposition. Use that chronology to direct corrective action upstream.
Full evidence reserved for MEMBER and STOREThe complete case includes the evidence sequence, four interpreted figures, alternative explanations, limitations, and practical application guidance.