EXPERTISE
AND INDUSTRIES SERVED |
Corrosion |
Welding |
Failure
Analysis |
Litigation
Support |
Manufacturing |
Laboratory
Work |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Auto
&
Trucking |
Aviation |
Mechanical |
Turbine
Engines |
Shipping |
Industrial |
 |

|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Engineering &
Consulting Services
Customer
Service:
- Receive
Timely, Respectful & Personal Attention On Your Case.
- Expert Testimony. We Make The
Complex Understandable.
- Work
Directly With Dr. Carney, Not A Lab Assistant.
- Fees
& Estimates Discussed Up-Front. See "Cost of
Services" Above.
- Dr Carney Speaks Fluent Spanish.
Our
Specialty Areas Include:
- Determination
of Probable Cause of Failure and
Who or What Might Be Responsible.
- Failure
Analysis of Components, Systems and Structures.
- Scientific,
Reliable Support
Throughout A Legal or Engineeering Case.
- Selection
of Materials and Processes for the Engineering Application
&
Environment.
- Review
of Mechanical Designs for Present or Future Problems.
- Product
Development or Reverse Engineering - From
Concept to Market.
- Evaluation
of Corrosion & Control Methods, Especially Aviation &
Industrial.
- Inspection
of Welds, Failures, Design & Processing.
- Analysis
of Fire, Electrical or Lightning Damage.
- Testing
of Conventional or
Exotic Engineering Alloys Including SEM/EDS/Metallography/Hardness and
others.
- Engineering
Applications of Polymers
& Composites, Design & Failures.
- And
A Lot More - Just Call or Email The Friendly Staff. Take
Advantage of Our Initial Free Consultation at (904)-233-3660!
Aviation & Industrial
Experience
Dr
Carney's Qualifications
- Metallurgist
& Engineer (metals, ceramics, polymers &
composites) for the
U.S. Navy (Aviation - Federal Civil Service) Since 1989.
- Started
Southeastern Metallurgy in 2014.
- Degrees
in Materials Science & Engineering from the University of FL
'91, '95 and '06.
- Responsible
for Approximately 125 Failure Analysis per Year.
- Currently
Serve as a Technical Supervisor for the Metals and Ceramics Branch of
Fleet Readiness Center Southeast - A Naval Aircraft Heavy Maintenance
Facility in Jacksonville, Florida.
- Experienced in the Design,
Repair and Overhaul of Aircraft Structures, Engines and Systems as well
as the Complex Industrial Plant That Makes Such Work Possible.
Forensic Investigation Costs
& Process
The
costs associated with forensic engineering work vary widely.
The
principle
factor, as you might expect, is the extent and complexity of the work.
Costs are also negotiable and are typically not set in stone
prior to initiating an engagement. Most engineering firms will
discuss and provide estimates up front. Southeastern Metallurgy
certainly does. Where a firm total is not possible, we
provide
our historical experience with similar cases and advise of any major
changes along the way.
A typical forensic or metallurgical engineering failure
analysis consists of seven or more major separate parts: background,
visual observations, measurements and testing, electron microscopy,
metallography, materials
characterization, conclusions, and, if necessary, discussion. Each
part, in turn, may be broken down into sub-sections depending on the
needs and judgment of the metallurgist.
The
costs associated with a failure analysis are composed of the sum of
each of these parts. The costs associated with a deposition or court
attendance are apart from the composition of a report but should also
be available from an analyst or firm prior to a hiring decision. This
discussion focuses only on the laboratory report and associated work.
A
failure analysis may be simple (a single component failure) or complex
(a crash or massive structural failure) costs will vary accordingly. A
few rough approximations of the time and fees that would be associated
with a single component failure analyzed by Southeastern Metallurgy, LLC,
are presented below. Not all of the analysis indicated is always
necessary, an estimate based on your specific needs is always best.
Background
Investigation: 2.5-5 hours of labor ($750-1,500).
Typical
activities: Gathering of information, drawings, specifications,
history, circumstances surrounding the event, interviews etc…
Visual
Inspection, Measurements & Testing: 5-10 hours of labor
($1,500-3,000).
Typical
activities: Visual inspection accompanied by written, photographic and,
possibly, video documentation. Inspection and documentation using
optical microscopy (magnifications 5-30X). Manual measurements with
rulers, calipers, micrometers and gages (e.g. thread gages), simple
tests as required
etc…
Scanning
Electron Microscopy and X-ray Microanalysis: 2.5-5 hours of labor +
equipment fees ($1,000-2,150).
Typical
activities: Analysis of microscopic fracture features under an electron
microscope. Identification of fracture origin, fracture mechanism,
microchemistry, contributing factors etc…
Chemical
Analysis and Materials Characterization: 2.5-5 hours of labor plus +
equipment fees ($1,000-2,150).
Typical
activities: Determination of compliance with specified chemical
composition and required mechanical properties. For example, chemical
analysis by glow discharge spectroscopy (GDS) and tensile testing to
determine yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation.
Metallography:
2.5-5 hours of labor + consumables ($750-1,500).
Typical
activities: Visual inspection under a specialized inverted microscope
(5X-1000X magnification) for measurement of small dimensions (tight
radii, plating thickness etc…) and metallurgical microstructures.
Written and photographic documentation.
Final
Report:
8-16 hours of labor ($2,000-4000).
Typical
activities: Writing up the analysis with supporting pictures,
measurements, chemical analysis and tests data as necessary. Reporting
supported conclusions and, if necessary, a discussion of the findings.
Totals:
The
total cost for the hypothetical routine forensic or metallurgical
failure analysis described
above would range from $7,000
to $15,000.
The exact cost is obviously
highly dependent on the precise facts of the case. Southeastern Metallurgy will
be happy to provide a more precise estimate based upon your unique
circumstances. Feel free to contact us at (904) 233-3660.