Professional Diploma in Mechanical Failure Diagnosis
This professional diploma gives you specialist tools and knowledge to identify and solve problems in shipboard and industrial machinery efficiently. You will progress from the physics of mechanical failure to the most advanced diagnostic techniques, such as vibration analysis, oil analysis, non-destructive testing and thermography, and finish with structured root cause analysis, so that you can improve maintenance, prevent recurrences and reduce operating costs.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Professional Diploma in Mechanical Failure Diagnosis?
This professional diploma teaches you to read the evidence that failing machinery leaves behind and to turn it into a reliable diagnosis. You will study strength of materials, failure modes, ductile and brittle fracture, fatigue and beach marks, stress concentrations and evidence preservation; wear mechanisms, tribology, corrosion, stress corrosion cracking and fretting; vibration fundamentals, sensors, FFT spectra, unbalance, misalignment, looseness, resonance, bearing and gear faults and dynamic balancing; oil analysis with particle counts, spectrometry, ferrography, AN/BN and contamination checks; borescopy, PT, MT, UT and phased array, RT, eddy current, infrared thermography and acoustic emission; typical failures in bearings, gears, shafts, couplings, bolted joints, welds, belts and chains; diagnostics on pumps, compressors, turbines, engines and hydraulic systems; and root cause analysis with Ishikawa, 5 Whys, fault trees, metallography, SEM and FEM.
What sets this diploma apart: a failure analysis approach that goes beyond detecting symptoms to explaining why a component failed; a multi-technique toolkit combining vibration, oil analysis, thermography and NDT in a single diagnosis; detailed coverage of the components that fail most often, from bearings and gears to bolted joints and welds; applicability to marine engines, pumps, compressors and turbines as well as industrial plant; and strong emphasis on technical failure reports, cost of downtime and lessons learned to stop failures from returning.
Program highlights
- Failure physics: fracture mechanics, fatigue, fractography and evidence preservation.
- Wear and corrosion: abrasion, adhesion, cavitation, fretting, SCC and material selection.
- Vibration analysis: FFT spectra, bearing and gear faults, balancing, Bode and Nyquist plots.
- Oil analysis: particle counting, spectrometry, ferrography and AN/BN interpretation.
- NDT and thermography: borescopy, PT, MT, UT, phased array, eddy current and acoustic emission.
- Root cause analysis: Ishikawa, 5 Whys, fault trees, SEM, FEM and failure reports.
Syllabus of the Professional Diploma in Mechanical Failure Diagnosis
8 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Fundamentals of fracture mechanics and failure analysis
- 1.1. Principles of strength of materials and the physics of mechanical failure
- 1.2. Classification of failure modes: plastic deformation, fracture and wear
- 1.3. Ductile versus brittle fracture mechanisms
- 1.4. Material fatigue: crack initiation, propagation and beach marks
- 1.5. Analysis of load conditions, stress concentrations and design
- 1.6. Methodology for systematic failure investigation (RCA)
- 1.7. Preservation, sampling and photographic recording of evidence
- 1.8. Fractography and surface analysis
Wear, tribology and corrosion mechanisms
- 2.1. Types of mechanical wear: abrasion, adhesion, erosion and cavitation
- 2.2. Applied tribology: friction, lubrication regimes and oil films
- 2.3. Dry and electrochemical corrosion mechanisms in mechanical components
- 2.4. Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and hydrogen embrittlement
- 2.5. Fretting wear (friction under vibration) and micro-contact
- 2.6. Assessing the impact of solid and liquid contaminants on surfaces
- 2.7. Strategies for selecting materials and anti-wear coatings
- 2.8. Abrasive and adhesive wear
Mechanical vibration analysis and balancing
- 3.1. Fundamentals of mechanical vibration: frequency, amplitude, phase and waveform
- 3.2. Instrumentation: accelerometers, velocity sensors and proximity probes
- 3.3. Spectral analysis with the fast Fourier transform (FFT)
- 3.4. Detecting unbalance, misalignment, mechanical looseness and resonance
- 3.5. Advanced vibration diagnosis of bearing and gear faults
- 3.6. Dynamic balancing of rotors in one and two planes
- 3.7. Transient analysis, start-up and coast-down curves (Bode and Nyquist)
- 3.8. Vibration spectrum analysis
Oil analysis and tribological diagnosis
- 4.1. Physical and chemical properties of lubricants and thermal/oxidative degradation
- 4.2. Oil sampling techniques and sample representativeness
- 4.3. Particle counting, emission spectrometry and ferrography
- 4.4. Detecting water, fuel, glycol and insoluble contaminants
- 4.5. Measuring viscosity, acid number (AN) and base number (BN)
- 4.6. Interpreting laboratory reports for predictive maintenance
- 4.7. Diagnosing component condition from the rate of wear generation
- 4.8. Interpreting oil reports
Non-destructive testing (NDT) and thermography in diagnosis
- 5.1. Advanced visual inspection and industrial borescopy of internal cavities
- 5.2. Penetrant (PT) and magnetic particle (MT) testing for cracks
- 5.3. Thickness measurement and ultrasonic inspection (UT), conventional and phased array
- 5.4. Principles of industrial radiography (RT) and eddy current (ET) in mechanical work
- 5.5. Fundamentals of infrared thermography applied to dynamic components
- 5.6. Detecting overheating from friction, lubrication failures and gas leaks
- 5.7. Acoustic emission analysis for early detection of crack growth
- 5.8. Ultrasound and acoustic emission
Diagnosis of transmission elements and joints
- 6.1. Rolling bearing failures: spalling, flaking and false brinelling
- 6.2. Diagnosing faults in plain and hydrodynamic bearings
- 6.3. Gear failure modes: pitting, scuffing, micropitting and tooth breakage
- 6.4. Inspecting shafts, keyways, mechanical couplings and drive shafts
- 6.5. Diagnosing bolted joints: shear, loss of preload and fatigue
- 6.6. Weld failures: lack of penetration, porosity and root cracks
- 6.7. Assessing belt and chain drives: alignment, tension and wear
- 6.8. Gear and bearing failures
Diagnosis of rotating and reciprocating machinery
- 7.1. Diagnosing faults in centrifugal and volumetric pumps and compressors
- 7.2. Assessing problems in steam and gas turbines
- 7.3. Analyzing pressure and vibration signatures in internal combustion engines
- 7.4. Detecting faults in valves, pistons, liners and crankshafts
- 7.5. Diagnosing hydraulic systems: pumps, internal leakage and cavitation
- 7.6. Shock pulse method (SPM) for condition monitoring
- 7.7. Detecting anomalies in fans, blowers and industrial gearboxes
- 7.8. Diagnosis of pumps and compressors
Root cause analysis (RCA) and diagnostic management
- 8.1. Root cause analysis methods: Ishikawa diagram, 5 Whys and fault tree analysis (FTA)
- 8.2. Integrating multi-technique data (vibration, oil, thermography and NDT)
- 8.3. Metallography and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in fractography
- 8.4. Finite element method (FEM) simulation to reconstruct failures
- 8.5. Quantifying the economic impact of failure and the cost of downtime
- 8.6. Writing failure engineering reports and corrective recommendations
- 8.7. Preparing failure reports
- 8.8. Applying lessons learned to redesign and prevent recurrence
Duration and format of the Professional Diploma in Mechanical Failure Diagnosis
It is 800 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Professional Diploma in Mechanical Failure Diagnosis
Career opportunities after the Professional Diploma in Mechanical Failure Diagnosis
Questions about the Professional Diploma in Mechanical Failure Diagnosis
To prepare you to diagnose mechanical failures in shipboard and industrial machinery, understand their root causes and propose solutions that stop them from happening again.
Vibration analysis and balancing, oil analysis, visual inspection and borescopy, penetrant, magnetic particle, ultrasonic, radiographic and eddy current testing, infrared thermography, acoustic emission and shock pulse measurement.
Yes. Pumps, compressors, turbines, diesel engines, gearboxes, shafts and hydraulic systems on board are all covered, and the same methods apply to industrial plant.
Predictive maintenance focuses on monitoring condition over time; this diploma also goes deep into failure physics, fractography and root cause analysis to explain why components fail.
It is fully online, with live and recorded classes, real case studies and personalized guidance to apply what you learn to your own workplace.
Through diagnostic case studies, interpretation of spectra, oil reports and inspection results, and the preparation of technical failure reports.
Basic mechanical knowledge is recommended. Vocational training or practical maintenance experience is ideal, and the admission interview confirms the fit.
A Navalis Institute professional diploma and the failure analyses and technical reports you produce during the program.
More programs in Machinery and electrics
Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at maintenance technicians and industrial or marine mechanics, plant engineers and production supervisors, mechanical engineering students, health and safety managers and maintenance service providers or consultants; vocational training in mechanics, automotive or a similar field, or demonstrable experience in machinery repair and diagnosis, is recommended, together with basic knowledge of mechanics, electricity and diagnostic tools.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and a camera and microphone for live sessions.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.