Materials Engineering Expert Witnesses: 11

Dr. Charles R. Anderson has long specialized in the Characterization of Surfaces, Interfaces, Thin Films and Coatings. Since 1972 he has applied surface and near-surface analysis techniques such as x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS or ESCA) and Auger microprobe to the solution of surface chemistry and coating problems. 

Dr. Anderson worked for the U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin Laboratories prior to starting his own laboratory in 1995. He served as an officer of the ASTM Committee E-42 on Surface Analysis and as U.S. Expert on several sub-committees of the ISO Technical Committee 201 on Surface Chemical Analysis. He especially enjoys integrating the results of multiple analytic techniques (surface analysis, thermal analysis, FTIR, SEM/EDX, optical microscopy)to solve tough materials problems.

Litigation Support -  Dr. Anderson has extensive experience in materials science as a result of solving the materials problems of many industries with the aid many analytical techniques. He is available to provide Expert Witness Services for legal matters involving Materials Failure, Intellectual Property Theft, Misrepresentation, Failure to Meet Contract Specifications, Materials Identifications and Characteristics, or Quality Issues. To ensure the accuracy and integrity of his testimony, Dr. Anderson and his staff independently analyze the relevant materials in most cases.

 View Consulting Profile.

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, and Porcelain.

Litigation Support - A court-qualified expert, Mr. George has over 13 years of experience and has testified in depositions and trials. His forensic training is complemented by his industrial experience including:

• Heat Treating of Metals
• Welding and Joining of Materials
• Materials Testing and Evaluation
• Quality Control and Assurance
• Optical and Scanning Electron Microscopic Techniques
• Destructive and Non-destructive Physical Testing
• Laboratory Equipment and Procedures

View Edward George's Consulting 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

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, cements, 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.

D.R. Foster, PE, PhD is an expert in Welding Engineering, specializing in the Design, Manufacture, and Inspection of Welded Structures.  Dr. Foster possesses a PhD in Welding Engineering and numerous certifications in welding, inspection, and engineering.  In addition, he has significant Welding Engineering experience in both academia and in industry. His exceptional experience and training have prepared him to properly analyze the welding failures and welding safety violations that are the subject of Litigation.

Areas of Expertise:

Welding Engineering Welding Failure Analysis Welding Forensics Welding Corrosion Welding Explosions Welding Fires Welding Safety / Code Compliance Review of Weld Procedures and Qualifications

Industrial Safety Welding Personal Injury Welding Design Welding Inspection Welding Metallurgy Welding Intellectual Property (Welding IP) Welding Patents Additive Manufacturing / 3D Printed Structures

Background Experience: Dr. Foster earned his BS, MS, and PhD in Welding Engineering from The Ohio State University’s Department of Material Science and Engineering.  Dr. Foster has spent over 17 years as a welding engineer in the academic, public, and private sectors. 

Strongly dedicated to his craft, Dr. Foster has earned multiple welding, engineering, and inspection certifications. These certifications include Certified Welder (CW), Certified Welding Inspector (CWI), Certified Welding Educator (CWE), Certified Welding Supervisor (CWS), Certified Welding Engineer (CWEng),  NDT Level III Inspector (NDT III) and Licensed Professional Engineer (PE).

Dr. Foster has performed work for many large government agencies/consortiums such as Ohio Aerospace Institute, US Navy, US Army, NASA, the National Shipbuilding Research Program and the National Science Foundation while also providing welding engineering solutions for private industry.

Dr. Foster is a former tenure-track university professor with extensive experience teaching undergraduate-level and graduate-level courses in materials science, welding processes, and the design of welded structures. His research has been published in numerous scientific journals.

For more information, please visit The Welding Expert Witness.

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

Brett Pond, PhD, PE, CWI, has over 16 years of experience as a Mechanical Engineering and Metallurgical consultant specializing in Forensic Metallurgy (failure analysis).  He has a strong background in the rail industry, having participated in hundreds of derailment investigations and rail related failure analyses. 

Dr. Pond obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, has Professional Engineering (PE) licensure in 48 states, and is an AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI).  He is an active member of ASM International, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), and American Welding Society (AWS), and the National Academy of Forensic Engineers (NAFE).

Dr. Pond has earned international recognition for his failure analysis capabilities and has given technical presentations at multiple Failure Analysis Forums hosted in Shanghai, China. He has a wide range of experience, including: API Fitness for Service (FFS) Evaluations, field testing, mechanical / metallurgical laboratory management, legal expert witness services, and failure analysis for Rail, Food, Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, Medical, and Transportation industries. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Pond has provided unbiased mechanical engineering and metallurgical guidance to clients and legal counsel for over 15 years. Having been involved in dozens of legal cases and retained as a lead investigator or expert witness for several of those cases, Dr. Pond is an excellent choice for a mechanical engineering or metallurgical expert witness.

Having managed a mechanical / metallurgical testing laboratory for a leading global testing and inspection company, Dr. Pond is well versed in materials testing, application of domestic and international test standards, and weld / welder qualification testing.  

Areas of Expertise: 

Mechanical Testing / Mechanical Engineering Metallurgical Testing - Fatigue, Overload, Corrosion, Improper Design Materials Testing Chemical Analysis Tensile Testing Hardness Testing Charpy Impact Testing Microstructural Analysis Derailment Investigation

Rail Testing   Welding Failure Forensic Metallurgy Corrosion Testing API Fitness for Service Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) Microstructural Analysis Stress Analysis Operational Data Analysis

View Pond Industries' Business Consulting Profile.

Expert Background: Dr. Thomas L. Read is the Principal and CEO at A. Read Consulting, LLC. He received his PhD. from Stanford University in 1972 and has over 25 years of manufacturing experience in electronics, metallurgy, factory safety, failure analysis, glass fracture, glass failure and bottle failure. As a member of the electronics industry, he has earned process patents and has an extensive background in manufacturing techniques.

In parallel, Dr. Read has spent over twenty five years as a consultant to attorneys and engineers. He has given more than 100 depositions and has appeared in court numerous times.

Company Profile: Read Consulting, LLC is a full service laboratory providing services in the following areas:

Failure Analysis; Factory Safety and Personal Injury (including machine guards and manufacturing safety)

Glass Failure Analysis - Glass Fracture, Glass Failures and Bottle Failure

Metal and Ceramic Failure

Grinding Wheel Failures

Intellectual Property and Patent Disputes

Product Liability and Product Quality

Manufacturing Disagreements (such as Intellectual Property, Failed equipment and Contract Disputes)

Reverse Engineering

Since 1988, Real-World Forensic Engineering, LLC ("RWFE") has provided engineering services to industries and government labs, as well as litigation support to both plaintiff and defense attorneys practicing in many areas.

RWFE Areas of Expertise Include:

Components & Machinery Metallurgy & Corrosion Dynamics of Impact & Collisions Friction Analysis / Slips, Trips and Falls Intellectual Property & Patent Review Accident Reconstruction / Animation Computer Aided Design Education & Training

Electrocution & Switch Malfunction Grounding & Lightning Protection Lightning Impulse Testing Products and Premises Liability & Safety High-Voltage & Current Power Systems Bridge Design and Safety Fire & Explosion Cause and Origin And Much More...

At RWFE, we proudly distinguish ourselves by our Four C's:

CREDENTIALS. COMPETENCE. CREDIBILITY. COMMUNICATION.

Credentials:	B.S., M.S., M.Eng., M.B.A., J.D., and Ph.D. Degrees Licensed Professional Engineers in Mechanical, Electrical, and Civil Engineering Tenured University Professors and Professionals NAFI Certified Fire and Explosion Investigators (CFEI) Licensed Master Electricians
Competence:	Over 80 Combined Years of Experience in Engineering R&D, Industry, Academia, Consulting, and Expert Witness Litigation Support Over 120 Combined Deposition and Court Testimonies
Credibility:	Internationally Recognized in Our Areas of Expertise More Than $19 Million in Peer-reviewed and Funded Research Grants Over 200 Combined Scientific Publications and Journal Articles
Communication:	Over 20 Different Undergraduate and Graduate-level University Courses Over 30 Invited Short Courses, Talks, and Lectures

Design Evaluation – Accident Investigation – Intellectual Property - Failure Analysis – Fire Cause & Origin – Component Testing - Computer Aided Drafting – Accident Animation - Expert Witness & Litigation Support

www.ExpertEngineering.com

Dr. Shakir Shatnawi, PhD, PE, is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in the Transportation Engineering industry. Shakir has a Ph.D. in Transportation Engineering. He has over 30 years of practical and extensive engineering and transportation expertise covering industry and public agencies including FHWA and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). 

Shakir is currently the president of Shatec Engineering Consultants. He taught highway engineering, traffic engineering and transportation engineering and pavement design at California State University. Dr. Shatnawi served as a principal investigator on multi-million dollar transportation projects. He held various positions at Caltrans including a Senior Transportation Engineer, a Supervising Transportation Engineer and a Division Chief.

 Dr. Shatnawi's education and experience demonstrates a wealth of engineering knowledge encompassing highway design, traffic engineering, pavement design, geotechnical engineering, materials and construction . As a recipient of many acknowledgements from the government, Dr. Shatnawi has an impeccable reputation within the industry for his significant professional contributions. As an expert orator, he frequently shares his knowledge at major conferences around the world. Dr. Shatnawi provides expert witness services in the following areas:

Traffic Engineering Highway Design Standards Highway Specifications / Guidelines Public Agency Policies / Practices Pavement Design / Materials Construction defects Highway Geometric Design Drainage Asphalt Concrete Highway Repairs / Maintenance

Construction Quality Control / Quality Assurance Construction Claims Surface Conditions - Friction, Skid Resistance Road Defects Traffic Safety Highway Safety Traffic Control Devices / MUTCD Sight Distance Requirements Roadside Hazards ADA Requirements Code Violations

View Dr. Shatnawi's Consulting Profile.

Thomas W. Caldwell, PE, has over 40 years of experience in Materials Research and Development, Process and Product Development, and Manufacturing Operations in the Precision Cast and Machined Products industry.

Mr. Caldwell has designed and manufactured components for consumer and industrial products, including safety-critical applications such as aircraft landing gear brakes, seat belt lockup devices, windshield wiper, and window lift motor systems. He has experience creating and guiding technology development and manufacturing partnerships in Europe and Asia, licensing and selling intellectual property and creating supply chains in China.

Mr. Caldwell has lectured in the USA, Germany, Switzerland, and India on manufacturing premium quality metal products and manufacturing processes, and was a technical paper peer reviewer for 20 years for the Society of Automotive Engineers. A United States patent holder, he has published peer reviewed research in electrochemistry and materials processing, and has written and spoken numerous times on the subject of Materials Selection.

Litigation Support - Thomas W. Caldwell, PE, is a testifying and consulting expert for both plaintiff and defense counsel. His cases involve product failure for ferrous and non-ferrous alloy products such as hand tools, recreational and exercise equipment, fire fighting apparatus, rotating industrial machinery, construction hardware, piping, and lighting fixtures. Mr. Caldwell utilizes destructive and non-destructive methods for insuring product integrity.

Areas of Expertise:

Design Engineering Materials Failure Analysis Materials Engineering Mechanical Engineering Metallurgy Power Tools Products Liability Design Defects

Manufacturing Defects Fitness for Use Equipment Operation and Maintenance Accident Reconstruction Material Selection Manufacturing Process Design and Scale Up Safety Component Product Quality Control Safety Component Quality Systems Management

View Thomas A. Caldwell's Consulting Profile.