Tribology: Lubrication - Wear Expert Witnesses: 3

Engel Metallurgical LTD engineers and metallurgists offer laboratory testing services to determine Material Performance and Material Performance Expectation. All tests are performed according to government and/or applicable industrial standards, including ASTM, military, and other specifications.

Engel Metallurgical clients include attorneys, insurance company representatives and members of a broad range of industries, including chemical, agricultural, aviation, power generation, construction, transportation and manufacturing.

Litigation Support - Attorneys requiring reliable information rely on Engel Metallurgical. Les Engel and his team of specialists sort through intricate details of structural and material failures, accidents, manufacturing defects and other unexpected incidents that lead to lawsuits, with involvement from initial discovery through court appearances, if necessary.

In 2003, Engel Metallurgical earned ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). This accreditation officially recognizes Engel Metallurgical proficiency in quality and details, and helps ensure that its findings will carry more weight in clients’ litigation cases.

Engel Metallurgical Ltd. is listed with the Minnesota Association For Justice (formerly Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association) as an expert in the field of metallurgy. Their engineers have extensive experience with deposition and trial. Their high ethical and scientific standards complement our expertise in providing sound, unbiased opinions on technical issues, including:

Inspection: Equipment and Components Inspected on Site

Failure Analysis:

Root Cause Failure Mode

Photographic Documentation Fracture Evaluations

Product Evaluation:

Quality Control Efforts Reverse Engineering Materials Certification Product Claims, Product Recalls Corrosion Resistance Coatings Selection

Product Replacement Non-destructive Testing Procedures Literature Searches US / Foreign Specifications Equivalents Material Property Design Limits

Principal, Lester P. Engel, Jr., PE, is a Metallurgical Engineer with over 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 also has experience as the chief metallurgist for Brown Boveri Turbomachinery and as a metallurgical engineer for the Aircraft Engine Group of General Electric, where he focused on material selections for hot aircraft and marine gas turbine components. His GE career began in Nuclear Systems Programs, where his work included serving as the principal investigator on three NASA programs.

Les 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 aircraft and land turbines, generators, boilers, steel products, metals, cermets, plastics, and other materials.

With high ethical and scientific standards, Les Engel offers sound, unbiased expert analysis and testimony on technical issues. He provides expertise to insurance companies and counsel representing both plaintiff and defendant.

James A. Brusso, PhD, PE, has more than 20 years of experience in processing/properties of materials, materials characterization and behavior, materials specifications, mechanical testing, failure analysis, machining of materials, and laboratory design and operation. He is also Engel Metallurgical's Technical Manager and Quality Manager.

Dr. Brusso brings keen expertise to Engel Metallurgical and its clients, performing failure analysis; rendering expert opinions, giving depositions and testimony for litigation support; providing technical support for materials and process development and improvement; and developing and reviewing various product designs, materials, and process details.

Dr. Brusso has worked with Engel Metallurgical since 2000. Prior to that, he held several positions with The Timken Company in Ohio, where his responsibilities included establishing the company’s machinability testing laboratory, team leader for product development projects, managing the company's application metallurgical laboratory, and providing technical review of internal processing and testing standards to satisfy ISO 9000 / QS 9000 registration.

View Engel Metallurgical's Consulting Profile.

Brian Silowash, PE, CEM is the Owner and Founder of Innovative Design Engineering of America, LLC, a multi-discipline design and consulting engineering firm serving Manufacturing and Heavy Industry. A Certified Energy Manager, he has over 35 years of practical experience in Engineering Design and Construction.

Disciplines: Structural - Mechanical - Piping - HVAC - Electrical - Process Control

Background Experience: Mr. Silowash's experience has included plant layout, machine design, infrastructure for large steel mills, air pollution control (baghouses, scrubbers), waste-water treatment, recovery boiler rebuilds, Greenfield and Brownfield Sites, and energy conservation strategies. Industries served include Food and Beverage, Pulp and Paper, Chemicals, Metals, Glass, Manufacturing, and Industrial Insurance Claims.

Mr. Silowash lectures at Point Park University’s MS in Engineering Management program, and has taught an Environmental Engineering course at Point Park as an Adjunct Professor. He is the author of Piping Systems Manual, published by McGraw-Hill in 2010, a practical guide offering comprehensive information on piping design, installation, repair, codes, and specifications.

Litigation Support: Mr. Silowash offers legal services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant. His services include site review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed. He is registered as a Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, California, New York, and Ohio.

Areas of Expertise:

Industrial Piping Facilities Engineering Industrial Infrastructure Mechanical Process Equipment Construction Documents Damage Assessments following Disasters Contract Disputes Piping Systems Fall Protection

Building Codes Piping Codes Steel Production Pulp & Paper Heavy Industry Chemical Plants Engineer Disputes Errors & Omissions OSHA

Brent A. Johnson is nationally recognized in the Walkway Traction Testing Industry and the author of many articles on the application of national standards for Slip and Fall Prevention.

Background Experience - Mr. Johnson served as a facilities manager in the healthcare industry for 12 years before moving to the Floor Safety Industry. In his experience, he has recognized the need for extensive research in the reduction of the risks contributing to slip and fall incidents. He has witnessed, first hand, the physical, mental, and financial devastation that can result from unsafe walkways, thus resulting in his proactive, rather than reactive management philosophy.

During his tenure in the healthcare industry, Mr. Johnson has served on Environment of Care, Safety, and Emergency Management committees for a major suburban hospital network focusing on the prevention of injuries and identification of potential hazards. As a Facility Safety Officer, he has proposed and implemented solutions to minimize risks and enhance the safety for all users of a healthcare facility.

Mr. Johnson’s experience also includes a background in education and the physical sciences which enables him to apply and articulate the physics and properties of the coefficient of friction and it’s implications with walkway surfaces and safety. His ability to apply the scientific standards for measurement of floor safety established by the National Floor Safety Institute and ANSI as part of a comprehensive walkway management program can help reduce the exposure of a facility to litigation as well as create a safer environment for employees and patrons.

Mr. Johnson is a member of ASTM, ASSE, the ANSI B101 main committee and the chairman of the ANSI B101.0 Walkway Auditing Procedure subcommittee. He was the first Certified Walkway Auditing Safety Specialist and is now an instructor for the NFSI’s Walkway Auditor Certification Class as well as a Certified XL Tribometrist.

Litigation Support - Brent A. Johnson specializes is Forensic Walkway Testing in slip and fall cases for both defense and plaintiff attorneys. He offers unbiased, objective walkway test data for slip and fall litigation based on the ANSI/NFSI B101 national consensus walkway testing standards. His services include the coefficient of friction (COF) measurements under both dry and wet conditions.

View Brent Johnson's Consulting Profile.