Case studies
Real problems. Metallurgical answers.
Anonymized case studies from our aerospace, automotive, litigation and electronics customers — the kinds of failure analyses that pay for themselves in a single decision.
AI-illustrated micro imagery
aerospace
6 weeks· metallurgical
Turbine blade HCF failure at an unexpected hot spot
A commercial-aviation MRO returned a nickel-superalloy first-stage turbine blade that had liberated in-service well before its predicted life. Insurance loss was material; NTSB was interested.
automotive
4 weeks· mechanical
Automotive Class-10.9 fastener hydrogen embrittlement
A tier-1 supplier saw a rash of head-off Class-10.9 fasteners on a safety-critical suspension component — days after a plating vendor swap.
litigation
8 weeks· welder-qualification
Welded frame litigation — expert witness for plaintiff
Plaintiff's counsel needed an independent metallurgical expert on a personal-injury case where a welded steel frame allegedly collapsed under nominal load.
aerospace
1 weeks· metallurgical
Titanium alpha-case discovered pre-shipment saves an aerospace program
An aerospace subcontractor was about to ship a batch of Ti-6Al-4V forgings when their in-house lab flagged surface hardness variability. Program deadline was 72 hours.
electronics
3 weeks· chemical
SEM/EDS reveals lead-free solder voiding on a mil-grade PCBA
A defense electronics manufacturer had intermittent BGA failures on temperature cycling. Standard SPC data showed no anomaly.