Piecing together the evidence: The materials failure investigation process
Add to calEngineering Central B003, Swansea University Bay Campus
Join us for our next SWMA talk on Thursday 27th April from 6pm (Food & drink from 6pm with talk starting at 6:15pm) in room B003, Engineering Central Swansea University Bay Campus, to learn about the materials failure investigation process by Dr Alastair Houston from Minton Treharne & Davies (MTD).
Talk Summary:
Materials will degrade from the moment they are put into service, for example through wear of moving components, corrosion in a harsh environment, or fatigue cracking through repeated motions. Recognising this, materials intended for critical applications are carefully selected to withstand their particular service environment. However, sometimes their lifetime can be unexpectedly cut short. Through forensic study of failed materials, an investigator must piece together the evidence to find the nature of the failure. This presentation will outline the process of materials failure investigation illustrated with recent case studies.
Biography:
Dr Alastair Houston is a member of the IOM3 Student and Early Career Committee and a consultant materials scientist working for Minton Treharne & Davies (MTD), a company which provides independent scientific consultancy, analysis, surveying and expert witnessing services to a worldwide client base.
In his role, Alastair performs forensic materials investigations on failed components and quality issues with contaminated or damaged cargoes often through instruction by legal clients who are seeking technical advice.
