Materials (General) Consultants: 27

David Smith is an experienced mechanical engineer (MS, PE) with seven issued patents. Award-winning inventor. Vice President of Alpine Engineering and Design, a mechanical engineering consulting company with clients around the United States ranging from individual inventors to Fortune 500 companies. Worked on the development of multiple successful products including among other things: aerial lifts, garbage trucks, thrill rides, ziplines, trailers, oil and gas equipment, exercise equipment, manufacturing equipment, and multiple consumer products. 

Graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Completed a master's of science degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA with an emphasis in product development. Licensed professional engineer (PE) and certified safety professional in comprehensive practice (CSP). Certified trainer for boom lifts, scissor lifts, rough terrain, and counterbalanced forklifts. Over 10 years of experience in product development, patents, equipment safety, and risk assessments. 

Experienced expert witness having drafted over 200 reports/declarations in patent cases and catastrophic injury and death cases. Designed and built multiple custom testing devices to obtain data and evaluate opinions. Created multiple demonstratives to explain the mechanics and circumstances of accident sequences and patented devices. Testified in deposition 11 times and in trial once.

Expert Witness Services Professional Expert Reports Testing Forensic/Failure Analysis Accident Reconstruction Demonstratives Inspections/Measurements Compliance with Standards Expert Testimony Patent & Patent Related Issues Patent Searches Provisional Patent Complete with Illustrations Patent Infringement Review

Product Development Innovative Concept Multi-Industry Experience Powerful Design Tools Full Service Fabricating Materials Design Analysis Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Electrical Structural Integrity Tests Value Analysis

Dr. Charles R. Anderson has long specialized in the Characterization of Surfaces, Interfaces, Thin Films and Coatings. He and his team offer Materials Consulting Services, enhancing material and/or process to meet requirements and provide advantages over competitors. 

Dr. Anderson is able to apply decades of experience, cross-industry knowledge, and diverse areas of expertise to serve as a cost-effective partner to enhance or augment current R&D capabilities or capacity. Anderson Materials (AME) is prepared to deploy an array of analytical techniques and experiences to provide top-tier analysis and consulting services. 

AME offers services to such industries as Aerospace and Defense, Building Materials and Construction, Chemical, Communications, Consumer Goods, Electronics, Energy & Utility, Government Agencies, Industrial Equipment, Medical Industries, Resource Materials, and Colleges and Universities. 

Consulting Specialties:

Adhesive Bonding Cleanliness & Contamination Coatings CTE, Thermal Expansion Elemental Analysis Glass Transition Temperature Interfaces Materials Identification / Verification

Medical Devices and Prostheses Melting Temperature Outgassing and Water Content Particle Analysis Plastic Testing Surface Chemistry Surface Roughness Thin Film Analysis

View Expert Witness Profile.

Aviation Safety Consultants, LLC is a company designed to assist the aviation community with precise and specific Aviation Safety Consulting. Their clients include insurance companies, aviation flight schools, aircraft production companies, law firms, and fixed and rotary wing operators.

Consulting Services - Aviation Safety Consultants, LLC offers safety evaluations (audits) for aviation companies in accordance with Federal Aviation Regulations and IS-BAO and HAI Standards. They teach and promote proven Risk Management practices. They specialize in Human Factors and Material Failure in Accident Investigations.

Aviation Safety Consultants, LLC also provides consulting services for industrial, construction, and motor vehicle accidents. Their experts include Flight Instructors, Airline Pilots, Air Traffic Control Specialist, A&P Mechanics, Metallurgy Engineers and Safety Personnel both from the military and civilian organizations.

Founder and Owner, Keith M. Cianfrani, MAS, CRSP, a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, has over 30 years of aviation experience. He is a master army aviator, aviation safety officer, commercial pilot, instructor pilot, and was an accident investigator for the U.S. Army Safety Center.

Mr. Cianfrani is rated in both rotary wing and fixed wing aircraft. As a safety officer, he has managed safety programs in organizations with over 100 aircraft stationed throughout 5 states. He is currently an instructor for Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and Kansas State University. Mr. Cianfrani is also presently attending Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) as a PhD Student in Aviation Science. He writes the Safety and Training Column for Rotor and Wing Magazine.

Mr. Cianfrani is a certified Flight Instructor (CFI) and has also worked in the civilian, commercial aviation industry. He has been flying for companies such as Petroleum Helicopters, Damin Aviation, Keystone Helicopters, Island Helicopters, and Chopper 6 and Chopper 3 in Philadelphia. He also has experience in the flight for life, aero medical evacuation industry.

View Keith Cianfrani's Expert Witness Profile.

Timothy M. Barrett, RCI, RRC,  CSI, CDT, GRP, has 60 years of experience as a Roofing Contractor, Educator, Manufacturer, and Consultant in the Roofing and Waterproofing Industry. Notable projects have included the White House, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Gold Bullion Vault at Ft. Knox, Soldier Field, Paris Casino, Bethesda Naval Hospital, Dept. of Interior Headquarters, Transbay Transit Center, and thousands of others.

In addition to standard roofing and waterproofing, Mr. Barrett Designs and Builds Green Vegetated Roofs which can provide incredible contributions to the environment. Having chaired the RCI Greenroof educational program development I and II Committees, and having delivered the program a number of times in the Midwest, the South, the West Coast, the East Coast, and Canada, he is current on the science and the state of the art.

Litigation Support: Mr. Barrett has over 45 years of experience consulting and testifying as a Roofing and Waterproofing Expert. He is very experienced with Forensic Investigations for Thermal and Moisture Protection Systems on commercial, institutional, and industrial waterproofing and roofing projects. Mr. Barrett's services include thorough forensic reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Roofing Waterproofing Insulation Roofing Forensic Investigations Roofing Failure analysis Roofing Material Science Leak Tracing

Adequacy of Roofing Design Green Vegetated Roofs Plaza Deck / Parking Deck Construction Flat Roofs Metal Roofs Workmanship Standards and Materials Roofing / Waterproofing Project Evaluation

Certifications and Affiliations: Registered Roof Consultant (RRC); Roof Consultants Institute (RCI); Construction Document Technologist (CDT); Construction Specifications Institute (CSI); Green Roofing Professional (GRP); Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC)

Biernath Consulting helps small to midsized companies envision how AI and other advanced science & technology can help grow their business. He helps them create and implement innovative solutions to achieve success.

Rolf Biernath, PhD in Chemical Engineering, has over 30 years in the Chemicals and Electronics Industries with a concentration on AI advanced technology new product development. He developed new products and product lines at 3M for 31 years in senior technical roles. His 58 issued US patents span a broad range of scientific and engineering disciplines. 

Rolf has a strong drive to find the simplest and most effective solutions that meet customer needs and business objectives. His broad technical background and his resourceful ability to learn new fields quickly make him an ideal partner to help turn product's into fully realized new products and services. If it can be done, he'll find the way. If not, he'll tell you why, and let you know what advances might enable it in the future.

Rolf also works with VC and Angel Investors to assess a startup's new technology odds of technical and business success. He is known for his ability to break down complex technical problems and find the critical aspects that will make or break a new product. This helps investors ensure that financial investments are used to target the highest risks first, thereby reducing the money and time wasted chasing after products that may likely never see the light of day.

Consultant Specialties:

New Product Innovation Manufacturing Innovation Adhesives and Tapes Generative AI Prompt Engineering Root Cause Identification Chemical Engineering

Smart Devices IoT Devices IIoT Sensors Electromechanical Assemblies

Background Experience - Dr. Biernath has 58 Issued US Patents on New Products, including:

• Industrial Adhesives and Tapes – 3D printing materials, development, automation, and tape application processes
• Electronic Displays and optical display films, outdoor digital displays, backlights, LED color mixing
• Electronic Materials, epoxy thermoset adhesives, application process, elastomeric, high speed electronic connectors
• Signage, retroreflective signage, license plate recognition, ADAS, Human Invisible, Machine-Readable Coding System
• IoT and IIoT, Automatic and predictive selection and replacement of controllers, novel low-cost oil-detection sensor
• Microreplication, microfluidics, textured adhesives and processes

View Dr. Rolf Biernath's Expert Witness Profile.

Dmorris.consulting Freelance Consulting provides Corporate services to the Construction industry. Principal, David Morris, has over 30 years of deep understanding and hands on experience of Construction and Construction Processes that give him a unique perspective in the industry.

Select Background Experience:

• Prior to founding DMorris.consulting, Mr. Morris served as Director of Virtual Construction for EMCOR Construction Services from 2008-2016. In this role, he directed the virtual construction activities and operations of 82 EMCOR companies. His scope of work included drafting contract language for BIM and pre-construction, setting up new projects in lean and BIM delivery methods, and reviewing new construction technologies among other duties.
• From 2001-2008, Mr. Morris worked with University Mechanical and Engineering Contractors as Director of Virtual Construction. He was responsible for estimating Plumbing, HVAC Piping and Process Piping for numerous research laboratories and healthcare facilities valued at over 100mm + each. He also delivered conceptual estimates for numerous Biotech, Power, and Co-Generation plants.
• Select Project Participation: San Joaquin County Hospital, City of Gilroy Waste Water Reclamation Plant, Shafter Prison, Vandenberg Air Force Base HVAC Replacement, Space Shuttle Launch Complex Project, Tehachapi State Prison Level-4 High Security Prison Housing, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Co-Gen Facility, Kern Medical Center New Hospital Wing Expansion, Anheuser Busch Yeast Plant Expansion, and multiple Piping, Petrochemical, Hospital, and School projects.

Business Consulting Services:

Process Transformation Estimating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Recruitment Qualification Assistance Job Descriptions

BIM Processes Initial Design, Construction, Operations, Maintenance Project Recovery Assistance Creation and Implementation of “Best Practices” Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing Coordination (MEP)

*This Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection Systems (MEP) Spatial Coordination Requirements for Construction Installation Models and Deliverables is a derivative work of a best practice guideline written by David Morris in 2003 and modified for the AGC BIMForum in 2009. It is the result of capturing ten years of practical methods on real world construction projects and reflects continual feedback and improvement gained from that process.

View David Morris' Expert Witness Profile.

Dr. Box Consulting, Inc. is one of the highest respected consulting firms dedicated to the Packaging industry. Since 2010, it has become a globally renowned source for packaging process improvement, purchasing, manufacturing, distributing, shipment, and packaging environments. Dr. Box Consulting Inc.'s clients include Fortune 1000 corporations around the world and the Governments of the United States, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and the Country of Georgia.  

Business Consulting Services:

Packaging and Business Improvement - Waste reduction, quality improvement, safety improvement, profit improvement, lean manufacturing, machine productivity improvement, overtime reduction, on-time-delivery improvement and many other business improvement areas. A global leader in Packaging Procurement results.

Packaging Design and Branding - Assess packaging lines, improve efficiency, reduce material cost, design cost-effective packaging utilizing better and more flexible designs to protect and display products.

Branding - Design packaging, proper color choice, placement and designs of logos, names of products, placement of wording on the product and packaging for cosmetics, food products, household goods and many others. 

Packaging Research - Market assessments to determine the viability of building new plants in specific areas, including economic analysis, trend analysis, assessment of potential competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, market pricing analysis, and determination of potential customers.

Randy Phares, President and CEO of Dr. Box Consulting, Inc., is a Packaging expert specializing in Corrugated and Folding Carton Packaging. He has over 30 years of progressive leadership experience in Packaging, Procurement, Shipping, Lean Manufacturing, Quality, Safety, Productivity, and Business Improvement.

Since he began his career in 1990, Mr. Phares has held almost every job in packaging operations. These include manufacturing, distribution, sales, design, safety, and transportation.

Mr. Phares has served as a consultant for the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry's (TAPPI) Consulting Council. He was also the Vice Chair of the Packaging Consultants Council for the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IOPP) and President of the South Texas Manufacturer’s Association. 

Mr. Phares has spoken and keynoted National, International and Local conferences. He has been hired to do DOT Packaging HAZMAT training for paper, rigid, and flexible packaging. Mr. Phares has done leadership training, Lean Manufacturing training, sales training, machinery training, new Supervisor training, safety training, and much more.

View Randy Phares' Expert Witness Profile.

E & S Consulting, Inc., is a Florida registered professional engineering firm dedicated to bringing clients top-level consulting engineering services. E & S Consulting specializes in Product Liability litigation and expert testimony, however, they routinely perform Failure Analyses in non-litigation matters. They provide services to attorneys, insurance companies, state and local agencies, as well as manufacturing companies.

Services iNclude:

Metallography Hardness Testing Multi-channel Temperature Profiles Binocular Microscopy

Photographic Documentation Scanning Electron Microscopy X-Ray Diffraction Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy

President and Principal Investigator, Edward S. George PE, has over 30 years of experience in the field of Product Liability and Failure Analysis.

Mr. George earned his BS and MS degrees from the University of Florida Department of Materials Science and Engineering, graduating with a specialty in metallurgy. He is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Florida. Mr. George is a member of The National Society of Professional Engineers, The American Welding Society, The National Association of Forensic Engineers, The Florida Engineering Society, American Water Works Association, and The International Society for Fall Protection.

Mr. George has experience in a variety of material failures including:

Metals - Polymers - Plastics - Composites - Ceramics - Glass - Porcelain
View Edward George's Expert Witness Profile.

Paul Eason is a Licensed Professional 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 School of Engineering 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 - Industrial Accidents 

Areas of Expertise: Product Liability and Materials 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

Arun Kumar, Ph.D. has 34 years of experience in Metallurgy, Materials Science and Failure Analysis of Metallic and Non-Metallic Materials at Rockwell International, Hughes Aircraft Company and EAG Laboratories. He manages and supervises approximately 17 engineers and technicians performing a variety of analytical services and failure analysis. Dr. Kumar provides metallurgical consultation, performs failure analysis and serves as an expert witness in product liability trials involving materials failures. He has extensive experience in metallurgical failure analysis of aircraft, helicopter, automobile and motorcycle components, machineries, medical implants, machine tools and household appliances.

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. Consulting Services:

Metallurgical Engineering Engineering Services Lab Services Materials Analysis Product & Process

Failure Analysis Turbines Generators Boilers Quality Control

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, cements, plastics, and other materials.

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 Les Engel's Expert Witness Profile

Envista Forensics is a global leader in Forensic Engineering & Recovery Solutions. They provide Cause & Origin, Failure Analysis, Fire and Explosion Investigations, Accident Reconstruction, Damage Evaluations and Equipment Restoration Services following disasters of all kinds. Envista has offered Consulting Services to the insurance, legal and risk management industries, as well as businesses, public entities, and universities for over 25 years. Their Experts travel globally from 30 offices located across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the U.K., Australia and Singapore.

Insurance Industry / Claims Professionals - Envista understands the need to save money and expedite the claim, to serve the insured and reduce uncertainty. They offer a menu of services that address insurers’ needs for timely, reliable information, as well as their need to satisfy the policyholders. Envista's insurance clients include Property Adjusters, Casualty and Liability Adjusters and Examiners, Boiler & Machinery Specialists, Inland and Ocean Marine Surveyors, Subrogation and Recovery Professionals, SIU (Special Investigation Units), Forensic Accountants, and Lloyd's & London Market.

Businesses - Envista understands that buildings, equipment, data and other assets are critical to the profitable operation of any business. They are proud to offer a variety of services that help businesses protect themselves when they need it most. Envista offers specialized expertise with all types of business, especially Manufacturers, Technology Companies, Food Processing, Hospitals, Medical / Dental Care, Laboratories, R&D (Research & Design), Schools and Universities, Law, Accounting, and other Professional Service Firms, Banking, Securities, Financial, Energy, Transportation, Retail, and Broadcast and Entertainment.

Universities & Public Entities - Risk Managers and Business Officers responsible for the operations of colleges, universities, local government and other entities have the challenging role of working to prevent financial exposure following disasters involving business-critical equipment, buildings/structures, data/networks, as well as safety. Envista engineers and technicians have over a quarter century’s worth of experience providing forensic consulting for college risk professionals, as well as the insurance carriers and legal professionals who serve them.

Consulting Services:

• Equipment Damage Assessments
• Forensic Engineering / Causation Analysis
• Building & Structure Damage Assessments
• Equipment Restoration & Preservation
• Evaluation of Repair and Replacement
• Project Management of Repair and Recovery Efforts Options
• Data Recovery
• Computer Forensics
• Forensic Video Services
• Cyber Incident Analysis

View Envista's Expert Witness Profile.

John A. Williams, PhD, PE, CFEI, MBA, ASA, AIChE Fellow. 

Dr. Williams delivers Technology Assessments and Financial Valuation Analysis for business disputes involving intellectual property, trade secrets, patent infringement, licensing, royalties, capital investment, manufacturing operations expenses, ad valorem taxes, and lost profit calculations. He is an Accredited Senior Appraiser by the American Society of Appraisers, 

Practical 40 years of engineering experience in renewable and conventional energy technologies and facilities encompassing oil & gas, refining, biofuels, biomass, solar, wind, geothermal, coal, chemicals, steel, and power generation. A NAFI Certified Fire and Explosions Investigator, Dr. Williams performs forensic investigations of fires, explosions, equipment failures, and industrial accidents. 

Dr. Williams is a licensed Professional Engineer in the States of Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusettes, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

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

Radhakrishnaiah Parachuru, PhD, is a Textile Engineer with an MS degree in Decision Sciences / Applied Statistics. A multidisciplinary scientist, Dr. Parachuru possesses more than 35 years of teaching, research, and industrial experience in Polymer, Fiber, Textile, Apparel, Carpet, and other related disciplines. 

Serving as the coordinator of industry and public support activities at Georgia Tech, Dr. Parachuru has completed more than 180 applied research projects for the benefit of all segments of the Textile and Allied industries. Projects completed fall in the following categories:

• Product / Process Optimization
• Technical Trouble Shooting
• Design and Evaluation of New Products
• Assistance for Product Diversification and Value Addition
• Evaluation of Products and Processes for Dispute Resolution and Litigation Support
• Training of Technical Staff
• Establishment of Quality Control Facilities and Routines
• Business Data Modeling and Analysis
• Miscellaneous Cost Saving Projects

Dr. Parachuru has also conducted basic research in the area of Textile Manufacturing and served as the main adviser of several graduate students who completed MS and PhD degrees in textile engineering. He has been an active member of Fiber Society, AATCC, ASTM and TQCA for nearly 30 years. Dr. Parachuru currently serves as an active member of several AATCC technical committees and also as chairman of the AATCC committee on statistics. His current research interests are in the area of medical and industrial textiles. 

Consultation Services - Dr. Parachuru offers technical consultation to manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers. His services are broad-based and they cover the whole spectrum of traditional and non-traditional fiber products.  His services also cover raw materias, in-process materials, finished products and process technologies. Based on 35 years of teaching and research in textiles, ploymers, metals, cermaics and composite materials, he is uniquely positioned to define the contributions of raw materails, design parameters and manufacturing variables. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Parachuru has been qualified as a Fiber / Textile Expert in dozens of civil and criminal court cases. His experience covers federal, state, and county courts in multiple states within the United States.

Areas of Expertise:

Polymers Fibers Yarns Fabrics

Garments Carpets Nonwovens Textiles Technical Textiles