Dr. Edward Funk is a Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Illinois, Chicago. He also provides consulting to attorneys in the following areas:

Chemical Engineering

Chemical Products

Polymers

Patent Infringement

Hazardous Materials

Environmental Technology

He has extensive experience in chemistry-related technology from R&D with Exxon and Honeywell, and is the author of 6 U.S. patents and over 60 technical publications.

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Dr. David W. Riley is an Extrusion Analysis & Plastics Rheological Consultant. Dr. Riley has spent over nineteen years as a consultant in the field of Plastic Processing. He has over forty years of experience in developing Polymer Defect Technology and fifteen years in developing the field of Plastic and Polymer coefficient of friction related to the feed section of the extruder.

Areas of Expertise:

Expert Witness

Analytical Instrumentation Adaptation to Processing Equipment

Friction Analysis

Melt Rheology

Extrusion Equipment: Design & Analysis of Production

Telecommunication Cables and Insulation

Power Cables and Testing XLDPE

All phases of PVC Compounding & Extrusion

Thermal Stability of Polymers

Surface Chemistry, Metals & Polymers

Expert Background: Ronald J. Parrington, P.E. has over 20 years of experience in testing and failure analysis of metallic and nonmetallic materials. He has presented and published numerous papers on failure analysis, teaches several courses on failure analysis, and is a past chairman of the ASM International Failure Analysis Committee. Furthermore, Mr. Parrington is able to leverage the capabilities of IMR’s state-of-the-art, fully equipped materials testing laboratory. Mr. Parrington offers forensic, expert witness and legal services.

Company Background: Founded in 1984, IMR Test Labs has grown into one of the nation's leading testing laboratories. IMR offers a wide range of services geared toward servicing the complete needs of manufacturers in a variety of industries. The firm specializes in analysis of metals, plastics, elastomers, electronic circuits, process chemicals, and composites. In addition to routine materials testing, about 30% of the firm's business involves analysis of product failures, defects, and processing problems.

Services Offered:

Legal Services

Failure Analysis

Metallurgy

Non-Metallic Testing

Product Testing

Chemical Analysis

Corrosion Testing

Environmental Simulation

Machine Shop Services

Mechanical Testing

Microelectronics Testing

Plating & Coating Analysis

Thermal Spray Coating

Welding Inspection

Accreditations:

American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) to ISO Guide 17025

National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (NADCAP)to SAE AS 7101

Approvals:
Batelle Pacific NW Laboratory (NQA-1: Nuclear)
Boeing
Canadair (Bombardier)
General Electric Aircraft Engine
Learjet
Lockheed Martin
Parker Hannifin
Pratt & Whitney
Schweizer Aircraft
Sikorsky

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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

View Curriculum Vitae.

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.

KnightHawk Engineering, Inc. is a technology based Specialty Engineering Company that performs consulting, field services and testing. They do this with a broad spectrum of experience-based personnel utilizing a multi-discipline integrated systems approach. Using the same approach KnightHawk develops and manufactures performance enhancement products. KnightHawk Engineering is frequently called on to solve the most difficult and challenging problems in industry which need to be solved within aggressive time constraints, without sacrificing safety, quality, or performance.

KnightHawk Engineering have made their mark in the analysis of static equipment including selective linear exchangers, quench coolers, furnace tubes, pelletizing dies, and blow-down systems into closed headers. Rotating equipment analysis includes machine and structural dynamics, evaluation of acoustic pulsation, and rotordynamic modeling. They have also established a good reputation in specialty machinery design and third party design audits.

Cliff Knight is President of KnightHawk Engineering and a Professional Engineer with 36 years of experience. Besides his corporate responsibilities as President, Mr. Knight is also Chief Engineer. Mr. Knight specializes in design, failure analysis and troublshooting in static rotating equipment. He has 21 years of experience in utilizing computer applications, which include Finite Element Method, Numerical Modeling, Heat Transfer, Pipe Stress Analysis and Computer Fluid Dynamics.

While with KnightHawk, Mr. Knight has developed proprietary tools and methods for performing analysis on Pelletizing Dies, Presure Vessels, Heat Exchangers and Centrifugal Compressors. He holds four patents related to this work. Before coming to KnightHawk, Mr. Knight spent ten years at Dow Chemical, U.S.A., where he acheived the position of Sr. Mechanical Engineering Specialist and Group Leader.

Services Include:

FEA – Linear / Nonlinear – Elastic / Plastic CFD – Transient and Steady State Fitness for Service Pipe Stress Machine Design Rotating Equipment Repair Pressure Vessel / Heat Exchanger Design Thermosyphon Analysis – Complex Systems Process Simulation on Static and Rotating Equipment Rotordynamics Heat Transfer

Thermodynamics Water Hammer / Steam Hammer Structural Dynamics Earthquake Analysis Off Shore Wave / Wind Analysis Code Compliance Risk Assessment Catastrophe Investigation Vehicle Dynamics Controls Analysis Third Party Design Audit

Specialty Areas Include:

ASME Code Compliance Boilers Compressors Critical Piping Systems Elastic / Plastic FEA Fit For Service Analysis Heat Transfer Driven FEA Engines Flow Induced Vibration Furnaces Reciprocating Pumps and Compressors

Gas and Steam Turbines High Pressure Reactors Pelletizing Dies Selective Linear Exchangers Specialty Equipment Design Steady State / Transient CFD Analysis of Static and Rotating Equipment Structural Analysis Transfer Line Exchangers Vessel Alterations and Repairs Process Performance Analysis of Static and Rotating Equipment

Summit Professional Resources, Inc. offers a broad range of non-medical expert witness services. They accept matters for either plaintiff or defense oriented clients who are or may become involved in civil litigation matters. Both Technical and Non-Technical experts are available. They also offer on-site seminars and consulting for clients wishing to expand their knowledge base in areas that will help them evaluate their cases' technical merit. Summits experts are available to serve well beyond the courtroom.

Areas of Expertise Include:

Engineering Chemical Civil Electrical Industrial Mechanical	Construction Architecture Commercial HVAC Project Management Industrial
Maritime Accidents Charters Marine Fires Operation Spills	Fire & Explosion Arson Cause & Origin Damage Industrial Fires Procedures
Products Appliances Manufacturing Textiles Tools Warnings	Materials Chemicals FTIR Analysis Metals Failure Settlement Wood
Sports & Recreation Amusements Coaching Equipment Parks Training	Unique Specialties Adult Day Care Fire Arms Orthotics Statistics Teachers

The experts associated with Summit have been interviewed extensively and their background experience verified. Most of their experts are still active in their respective specialty areas. Some are retired, while others are very active in consulting efforts. Summit Professional Resources also offers training and consultation programs that can be tailored to suit particular types of matters that you frequently encounter, or for individual matters that are new to you and your firm.