In the introductory part of the course, students are familiarized with the fundamental mechanisms of production and operation degradation in metallic materials used in engineering. The knowledge obtained will enable students to determine limit states more accurately, to use materials more effectively and to give a qualified appraisal of failure causes. Students will also be made familiar with methods for determining the causes of defects in machine parts, using specific examples taken over from the literature and from the lecturer´s practical experience (e.g. automobile and aircraft technologies, power engineering facilities, pressure vessels, production machines, etc.). As an integral part of the course, additional information is provided on the most frequently used experimental techniques (chemical analyses, inclusive of microanalysis, metallography, and fractography).