We work with clients who need help with questions and problems related to the metals used in their products and equipment. This includes metallurgy consulting for …
Product design and manufacturing is complicated. So, why not take advantage of every tool available to make things easier? Even though millions of components are made of metal, metals engineering is under-leveraged at many companies. The result… lost opportunities to decrease product development time, design lower-cost component, solve reliability and quality problems faster, and innovate more.
Leveraging metals engineering means applying the science of metals (metallurgy) to make engineering decisions and solve problems related to the metals used in a product. These decisions include component alloy selection for new products and for cost reduction, supplier selection, and manufacturing process development. Problems include component failures, poor supplier quality, and poor manufacturing quality.
Many companies don’t have metallurgical engineers on staff, but need occasional help engineering metals, and that’s what we do. We help clients get the information they need to make well-informed decisions concerning the metals used in their products and equipment. We really enjoy working with these engineers to help find the best possible solution for the situation.
Imagine having a team of professionals dedicated to helping you select alloys for components, improve component and product reliability, reduce cost, and improve quality. We can help you find ways to engineer the metals used in your components to enable better, lower-cost products. Along the way, your engineers will be more productive because they’ll have access to metals engineering expertise.
Our clients see us as an extension of their in-house team. Working closely with their engineers as a valued and trusted specialist is what we value most. We measure our wins through the success of our clients. We truly value when our efforts make a lasting impact. It has meaning for us as professionals and individuals.
If you need help or just think you might need help, please email to set up a time to talk for a few minutes. There’s no charge for the discussion and it’ll help both of us better understand the issue, whether we can help, and the next steps.
We’ve been providing metals engineering expertise for product engineering and failure analysis for over 25 years. Our experience covers every aspect of product development and manufacturing, and we know the pressure to optimize designs and quickly determine the root cause of product failures and manufacturing quality problems.
Our metallurgy training and expertise coupled with design and manufacturing experience enables us to quickly understand your situation, work with you to make a plan, help you get the information you need, and help you use the information to get to the best outcome. You can count on getting the support and advice needed to make well-informed decisions.
We work on small and large projects and work with small, medium, and large companies. Industry experience includes automotive, aerospace, hardware, tools, medical and dental devices, plumbing, industrial equipment, machinery, electronics, and many more.
Alloy experience includes carbon steel, low-alloy steel, tool steel, stainless steel, aluminum alloys, copper alloys, brass and bronze, and super alloys. Coating experience includes electroplated, PVD, galvanized, powder coated, and thermal sprayed. We also have experience with welded, soldered, and brazed joints.
Our process is unique because our approach to consulting is unique. We understand that behind all the data and engineering are people. People with real-world needs and who will face challenges during implementation. We do not just hand off reports and end the relationship once information has been shared. We seek to keep open the lines of support and communication throughout the life of your project.
Needs Review
Every engineering project starts with a conversation with you and your engineering team to discuss the project and collect background information. This is done by phone or internet meeting and usually takes 30 minutes. There’s no charge for this step.
We’ll review photos and drawings of your product and components and discuss your objectives for the project. We will also discuss the project scope, the work to be performed and samples required if metallurgical testing is necessary. We will also discuss approximate cost. For the scope, it’s critical to have complete agreement on the problem to solve.
Identify the Project Approach
This is where we use our experience, training, and knowledge to identify the best path forward. This includes metallurgical analysis of components or metal stock, discussions with suppliers, and reviewing technical standards and engineering literature.
Project Quote
A project quote includes the project scope, the work to be performed, and the cost. After you approve the work we begin right away.
Perform the Work (may be iterative with the next step)
The work discussed in the proposal is performed. If that includes metallurgical analyses, the data is collected and reviewed.
Review data (may be iterative with the previous step)
We review the information collected and our findings with the client’s engineers and get their input. Their input is important because they have technical expertise in other areas that is complimentary to metals engineering. Also, they are familiar with the details about the design, manufacturing, and use of the item being engineered.
As we discuss things it is common for more considerations, options, and background details to come to light. In some cases, it is determined that more work is required.
This step is key - we won’t just give you a report and leave it to you to figure out how to use the information to make your decision or fix your problem. We work with clients to help engineer solutions.
Written Report
We provide a written report once the engineering work is completed. The report covers the work performed, analysis results, data from technical literature, done, recommendations, and conclusions.