Corrosion Engineering

Brosz & Associates are Electrical Experts headed by President and C.E.O., Professor Helmut G. Brosz, B.A.Sc., D.B.A., F.A.A.F.S., P. ENG., Adjunct Professor at Ryerson University, Adjunct Assistant Professor at University of Toronto.

They provide a wide range of highly specialized Forensic Science and Engineering, Accident Reconstruction, Testing, Commissioning, and Technical and Scientific Services. Their staff of specialists and experts have completed over 5,200 assignments since 1970 ranging from electrical accidents and electrocutions to electrical power system investigation and testing of equipment failures including circuit breakers, motors, switchgear, generators, transformers and appliances.

Their engineering facilities at Brosz & Associates enables them to perform in-depth research, electrical testing, forensic laboratory testing, microscopy, macro photography and photographic documentation, X-Ray testing, infrared testing, high voltage testing, high current testing and more. Most of their testing equipment is portable and they are also capable of producing professional collages and scale models for reports, mediations, depositions and trial.

Their clients include insurance companies, legal firms, adjusters, risk managers, manufacturers, contractors, utilities, governments and individuals.

Services Include:

Cause and Origin Investigations

Failure Analysis

Loss Prevention and Mitigation

Subrogation Support for the Insurance Industry

Electrical Safety and Accident Prevention

Gerald O. Davis, PE, President and co-owner of DM&ME, has over 40 years experience in Materials Usage, Corrosion, Metallurgy, Mechanical Failure, & Root-Cause Failure Analysis. His recent background includes work as a corrosion researcher, senior engineer and program manager for Battelle Memorial Institute, DNV, Inc., Henkels & McCoy, Inc., respectively and, since 2004, for DM&ME as an independent consultant. For (7) years he served as a mechanical engineer and maintenance/reliability engineer in a continuously operating chemical processing plant.

Mr. Davis provides services to a variety of industrial clients who desire outside help in his knowledge areas. Clients include those interested in targeted materials selection, prevention of equipment failure, or on-site short-course training for materials matters. Located in Central Virginia, he provides services across the nation.

Consulting Services Include:

• Industrial Root-Cause Failure Analysis and Consulting
• Metallic Materials Selection & Design Reviews
• On-site Evaluations and Recommendations for Preventing Unplanned Shutdowns
• Customized On-Site Materials Training
• Metallurgical Analysis
• Corrosion Control
• Welding Problems
• Mechanical Failure Analysis

View Expert Witness Profile.

Paul Eason is a Licensed Engineer, Nationally Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator and Forensic Consultant. His expertise comes from a strong background in industry and academia. In addition to his consulting practice, he is a professor in the Mechanical Engineering program at the University of North Florida, and maintains a graduate faculty appointment in the Materials Science and Engineering Program at the University of Florida.

Dr. Eason has testified in numerous trials and depositions in the following practice areas: Product Design & Manufacturing Analysis, Metallurgy & Materials, Fire & Explosions and Industrial Accidents

Areas of Expertise:

Product liability and failure analysis, Product Defect & Safety Issues including: Metals, Plastics, Glass, Ceramics, Corrosion, Fatigue, Overload & Material Selection

Fire and Explosion analysis including: cause and origin determination, product related fire causation, industrial process accidents, dust explosions, welding/brazing accidents

Engel Metallurgical Ltd. is an independent Materials Engineering Consulting and Testing company offering services to insurance companies and indsutrial manufacturers. Their team of engineers, technicians, and administrative staff, is dedicated to providing timely and cost-effective service. They aim to continuously improve the scope and quality of services using the latest technology to meet or exceed customer expectations. For your convenience, Engel Metallurgical Ltd. Will provide support at our lab, your site, or your vendor's site. ISO 17025 accredited.

Lester P. Engel, JR., PE, is a Metallurgical Engineer with approximately 40 years of experience leading the company's detailed, quality-focused testing and services. He oversees the company's lab, continually adding new equipment and techniques. Mr. Engel specializes in materials application, failure analysis, R & D program management, materials and process specifications, engineering standards and procedures, laboratory design and operation, data analysis and personnel and budget management.He continues to personally perform failure analysis on metals, cermets, plastics and other materials.

Consulting Services Offered:

• Performs failure analyses of products manufactured from various materials, including metals, cements, and plastics
• Assists manufacturing clients with materials and process selection and problem solving, and prepare material and process specifications
• Develop and review product design, materials, and process specifications
• Oversight and development of on-site metallurgical testing laboratory that provides: scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS); metallographic preparation and examination; and mechanical property testing

View Expert Witness Profile.

ESWL© Consulting Expertise Services is an independent Consulting Company specializing in the area of Welding & Weld Overlay Cladding Technology, Metallurgy & Corrosion, Design of Weldments and Computational Welding Mechanics (CWM).

ESWL© has over 30 years of International Expertise in Worldwide projects including Marine Loading Systems for liquefied natural gas (LNG )and others liquid products (Oil, LPG, Suffer liquid … etc.), with Ambient, high or cryogenic temperature Service and Weld Overlay Cladding for the corrosive service of the Wellhead Equipments.

Emile Layer is a Welding Engineering & Weld Overlay Cladding Expert and a Member of the FMC Technologies Inc. International Trim© Clad Expert Committee.

Services Include:

Materials Selection and Evaluation

Welding & Weld Overlay Cladding

Quality and Audit

Welded Joints Design

Development of Welding Procedure Specification (WPS & PQR)

Corrosion & Prevention

Inspection:

Third-Party Witness Inspection

Welders Performance Qualifications (WPQ)& Welding Procedure Specification (WPS & PQR

Compliance with Relevant Codes Specifications

Review of Subcontractor’s (WPQ /WPS /PQR)

Witness Tests for Third-Party Inspections Companies

Jason R. Babcock, PhD - Chemistry and Materials Consulting

Dr. Babcock has formal training in chemistry, physics, mathematics, and materials property analysis. He has specialized throughout his career in the role that materials contribute to the limitations and failures of products and systems. He has substantial experience in a variety of materials, corrosion, measurement instrumentation, materials testing, materials processing and processing equipment, chemistry, R&D practices, and project management. Dr. Babcock has a broad General Chemistry knowledge that is invaluable to understanding the interaction of materials on a molecular level. He has extensive experience designing and building experimental apparatus and performing analytical testing of a wide variety of materials, interpreting the results, and providing detailed reports summarizing the findings. He can provide practical and comprehensive testing that is independent and unbiased. He has practical experience performing a broad range of tests to determine the strength, physical, chemical, and wear properties of metals, ceramics, composites, and plastics. Dr. Babcock is the author of over forty technical papers and holds five patents. View Curriculum Vitae.

Richard J. M. Bidwell, PE - Chemical, Industrial Incident Investigator

Ric Bidwell is a Licensed Professional Chemical Engineer that brings to ITC Expert Services nearly 30 years of multidisciplinary engineering experience. He has fully utilized his diverse hands-on experience in the national and international investigations of fires and explosions involving residential, commercial, chemical industrial facilities and heavy equipment. He has also been responsible for failure analysis and incident investigations relating to industrial and chemical processes or process equipment, chemical exposure, industrial accidents and safety.

Mr. Bidwell has nearly two decades of experience in all engineering aspects of chemical processing and industrial plant operations, including design, maintenance, safety and bulk material handling and transportation. Clients have included major petroleum and chemical producers, fuel gas companies and suppliers, the United States Chemical Hazard and Safety Board (CSB) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Mr. Bidwell Specializes in:

Fire and Explosion Investigation Natural Gas, LP and Propane Systems Chemical and Industrial Processes Industrial Incident Investigations Chemical Release and Exposure Bulk Material Transportation Incident Investigation

Plumbing, Piping and Pumping Systems Combustion & Heating Equipment Industrial and Commercial Safety Industrial and Heavy Equipment HVAC and Refrigeration Equipment

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Kevin Pedersen, CFI, CFEI - Director, Fire Investigations

Mr. Pedersen, an investigator for over sixteen years, has extensive training in fire and explosion investigation techniques and experience in many forensic disciplines. He is certified in fire, explosion and arson investigation, holding both CFI (Certified Fire Investigator) and CFEI (Certified Fire and Explosions Investigator) certifications from the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI) and the National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI), respectively. He is an Illinois licensed Private Detective, a Wisconsin licensed Private Detective, and a trained and accomplished evidence photographer. He has worked on investigations for both civil and criminal cases involving industrial accidents, traffic accidents and fires involving injuries, fatalities and property damage. He has also worked on criminal investigations involving surveillance, assault and battery, and homicides occurring during shootings, cases of arson, and bombings. Mr. Pedersen spent five years as a major crimes investigator for the City of Chicago Police Department in their Bomb and Arson Unit where he investigated over 1,000 incidents involving many major crimes. His experience includes incidents and explosions involving natural gas and propane, as well as residential and industrial fires, and fires in machinery and appliances. View Curriculum Vitae.

ITC Experts provides top Technical Experts for the Legal and Insurance Communities. ITC is organized as a collaborative of experts and facilities from multiple, varied groups, but unlike a brokerage or finder service, ITC has a staff of experts who augment their deep experience and industry-leading qualifications with the specialized knowledge and resources of collaborators from leading universities, government laboratories, technical societies, and industry.

Dr. David Curry, PhD, CHFP, CSP - Consultant, Human Factors and Safety

Dr. Curry is Vice President, Human Performance Sciences and Technology for ITC Expert Services. He holds graduate degrees in Experimental, Human Factors, and Cognitive/ Perceptual Psychology, Industrial Engineering, and Business and his experience includes nearly 30 years of work in accident investigation, product design and development, operational testing and analysis, and both laboratory and field research. He consults on all aspects of human factors, human performance, ergonomics, and safety.

Areas of particular expertise include: human-machine interface design and evaluation, human capabilities and limitations in applied environments, industrial ergonomics, warnings, vision and visibility, slips/trips/falls, the evaluation of equipment, facilities, and structures from a human use standpoint, and safety-related issues in general. He is recognized as an expert in operator-vehicle interaction, is both a Certified Human Factors Professional and Certified Safety Professional, has published nearly fifty technical papers dealing with various issues relating to applied human performance and accident investigation. He has been awarded several patents and sits on national standards-making committees for a variety of organizations (ANSI, ASTM, and SAE.) He has provided testimony in both State and Federal courts. View Curriculum Vitae.

John Meyer, PhD, PE - Mechanical & Materials Engineering

Dr. John Meyer is responsible for the engineering investigation and reconstruction of accidents, incidents, and failures of all kinds. With his background in mechanical engineering and physics, Dr. Meyer has conducted and directed hundreds of investigations over the past 16 years involving a widely diverse range of items, including aircraft, industrial equipment and machinery, automobiles and other vehicles, as well as consumer products. In addition to incident causation, Dr. Meyer frequently evaluates issues such as engineering design, machine guarding, warnings, and human behavior. Dr. Meyer has particular expertise in the modeling, analysis, and control of vibration and dynamic systems. He analyzes loads, forces and assesses mechanical design.

Areas of Expertise:

• Modeling, Analysis, and Control of Vibration and Dynamic Systems
• Analyzes Loads, Forces and Assesses Mechanical Designs
• Human Factors including Human Perception, Reaction, and Operator Behavior

View Curriculum Vitae.

John Fildes, PhD - Chemical, Materials, Product Development

Dr. Fildes has over 30 years of highly successful experience as a business leader, technology manager, researcher, and practicing scientist in dispute resolution and insurance investigation. His Ph.D is in Chemistry (Physical) from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and his B.S. is in Chemistry from Georgetown University. He has specialized throughout his career in the role that materials contribute to the limitations and failures of products and systems, and he is especially skilled at diagnosing the root cause of problems and problem solving, and determining the limitations of testing, analysis, and modeling. He often sees key issues and devises approaches that others have missed. He is a combination of statesman, educator, and scientist, and is able to successfully convey, with credibility and confidence, highly technical issues to laypeople. Dr. Fildes has a broad range of experience with materials that includes resins, composites, ceramics, and metals used in automotive, aerospace, electronic, and construction. He also has extensive experience with developing structure-property relationships for real world applications of materials, developing materials processing models including use of artificial intelligence, using electrochemical techniques for characterizing coatings and electronic materials as well as for measuring corrosion, sensors and measurement instrumentation, signal processing, statistics, data analysis, and friction and wear of materials including applying mechanisms of wear to actual situations and developing and applying test methods for real world applications. View Curriculum Vitae.

Dr. Richard F. Lynch has over 35 years of industrial experience in all areas of Metallurgical and Material Forensic Investigations, including 11 years with a major metals producing and processing company. He serves as an Expert Witness / Consultant on Steel, Nonferrous Metals, and Non-Metallic Materials.

As a U.S. patent holder, Dr. Lynch has authored and/or presented over 60 technical papers on the properties and uses of galvanized steel, cast and wrought non-ferrous and ferrous products, pretreatments for painting metallic surfaces, product development and ASTM standards.

Dr. Lynch's client base includes attorneys and companies requiring failure analysis, metallurgical testing, or assistance with end product manufacture, metallurgical processing, casting, galvanizing, zinc production, surface treatments, metallurgical process licensing, international metals research and market research.

Areas of Expertise:

Fracture

Corrosion Failure

Galvanized Steel

Ferrous

Nonferrous

Polymers

Composites

Paint Failure

Standards / Specifications

Failure of Structural Materials, Fabricated Products, Fuel Tanks

Surface Preparation

Metal Pretreatments & Painting of Galvanized Steel

S. Douglas Devoy has over 30 years experience in Marine and Offshore Oil and Gas Industry acting as Senior Vice President / Director of Matthews-Daniel Company, Houston, Texas with worldwide group responsibility for Marine Surveys. He supervises staff and performs all types of Marine related Surveys including Wet and Dry Ocean Transport of Rigs, Structures, Modules and Equipment, Trip-in-Tow Surveys, Loss Investigations, Safety and Valuation Surveys or Marine Equipment and Warranty Surveys, and Location Approvals.

Mr. Devoy has Coordinated Salvage Efforts and Negotiated Salvage Contracts on behalf of Underwriters and Owners. He has also supervised all aspects of Ocean Tows / Voyages including all Engineering Aspects. Adjusting Marine and Energy Related Losses.

Areas of Expertise Include:

Marine Surveying of Offshore Oil and Gas Industry

Marine Accident Investigation Naval Architecture

Marine Engineering

Engineering Technology

Accident Investigation and Loss Adjustment for Offshore Oil and Gas Industry

Valuations for Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Assets

Michael A. Jacobs has over 40 years experience in the Maritime and Offshore Oil and Gas Industries including an Active Seagoing Career as an Deck Officer on Tankers and Bulk Carriers, Terminal Controller in a Container Terminal responsible for the Loading and Discharging of Ocean-Going Container Vessels, and Master / Offshore Installation Manager of Semi-Submersible Drilling Rigs. Capt.Jacobs is also a Marine Surveyor involved with all types of surveys in the offshore industry including Towages, Heavy Lift Transportation, Damage Surveys, Installation of Oil Related Structures, Modules and Equipment, Rig Move Attendance and Rig Location Approval.

Areas of Expertise Include:

Marine Operations in the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry Admiralty; Accidents Involving Dock, Shipboard and Offshore Cranes Anchor-handling, Towing and Mooring Incidents Swing Rope and Personnel Basket Worker Transfer Accidents Pipeline Damage Cargo and Cargo Container Damage

Hurricane and Heavy Weather Damage Mooring System Failures Anchor-handling Operational Failures Towing System failures Rig Moves Mobile Offshore Drilling Units Collision

Metallurgical Technologies, Inc. (MTi) is a Metallurgical Engineering Service Laboratory specializing in Forensic Failure Analysis of Metallurgical Components. We also offer testing, analysis, and consulting services. By performing a comprehensive failure analysis, the root causes of failures are identified, metallurgical problems are solved and recommendations are made to prevent future reoccurrences. MTi uses the most advanced analytical equipment and techniques. Test results are interpreted and recommendations are made by licensed professional engineers registered in the discipline of metallurgical engineering.

Our consultants are experts in their field. An in-depth report of our findings approved by an expert metallurgical engineer typically includes: interpretation of test data, conclusions, opinions, and recommendations to improve performance or prevent future problems. MTi has the experience and ability to provide technical support and expert consulting on Metallurgical Engineering Issues and Cause of Failure in Litigation and Insurance Claims. Our metallurgical engineers have provided expert witness services in litigation regarding metallurgical engineering and failure analysis.

Services Offered:

Failure Analysis

Corrosion Investigation

Spectrometry / Scanning Electron Microscopy

Metallography

Defect Investigation

Mechanical Testing

Chemical Analysis

NDT (Non-destructive Testing)

Reverse Engineering

Consulting

Weld Engineering

Miscellaneous Testing /

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