AFFORDABLE. QUALITY. EXPERTS.
We’ve assessed just about every type of pipe failure after decades of cross-field engineering expertise. Because of this we’ve developed service offerings around the most common problem areas we’ve seen. See our offerings below.
LEGAL
We are highly experienced in Expert Witness work for both Plaintiffs and Defendants in the following areas: Patent Infringement, Product Liability, Personal Injury, and Property Damage.
DESIGN
Our part design engineers use state-of-the-art computer software technology to develop and optimize the best design for your part. Finite element analysis (FEA) is applied to the design to ensure that anticipated mechanical stresses and loads on the part are appropriately distributed so minimize chances for part failure.
ANALYSIS
Plastic Expert Group’s network of testing laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. Our network laboratories are accredited and/or certified.
LEGAL
YEARS OF LITIGATION EXPERIENCE AT YOUR SERVICE
EXPERT WITNESS
Good expert witnesses must have great credentials to be effective. Most of our experts have a Ph.D. and decades of experience working with plastics. Many have received honors and prestigious awards, and have authored scientific publications including journal papers, books, and encyclopedia articles. Upon request, we will send you a detailed CV as supporting evidence of the high caliber and level of expertise for the expert we feel can best support your litigation.
WE ARE HIGHLY EXPERIENCED IN EXPERT WITNESS WORK FOR BOTH PLAINTIFFS AND DEFENDANTS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
- Patent Infringement
- Product Liability
- Personal Injury
- Property Damage
Our lead expert, Dr. Duane Priddy, is a highly experienced expert witness in all aspects of Plastic Failure. Dr. Priddy has served as an expert in litigation in over 100 cases, providing insight in the forms of Failure Analysis, Expert Opinions, Depositions, Courtroom Testimony, and Consultation. A full list of litigation cases with which Dr. Priddy has personally been involved is available upon request.
Our Expert Witness Retainer Agreement is available upon request.
The litigations that we support generally involve the failure of a plastic part resulting in personal injury or property damage. Plastic part failure analysis requires the use of high powered analytical and forensic analysis techniques. Our partner labs are certified and equipped with state-of-the-art analytical equipment.
DESIGN
ENGINEERING THE PARTS YOU NEED FROM SCRATCH
We are a Full Service Plastic Part Design Company
The design of plastic parts is one of our core offerings. Our Part Design and Material Selection Engineers can assist in making sure your product is designed and manufactured using the best material for the optimum balance of cost and performance . We perform Finite Element Stress Analysis (FEA) and injection mold-flow design calculations on your part to ensure that the material and design will withstand the rigors of the intended use of your product at the lowest possible cost of manufacture.
Our goal is to help you successfully design and manufacture your product efficiently and safely using the best material for the application. Since our plastic part fabrication consultants are globally networked, we have connections to assist in locating a part fabricator in the geography of your choosing.
Whether we design the part from scratch or you provide us with an existing design, we can perform FEA stress analysis and assist you in improving and optimizing the design for better performance. If your existing part is experiencing an unacceptable failure rate, we can work with you to understand the root cause of the failures and improve your part design to reduce the failure rate.
In summary, our capabilities include the following:
- Finite Element Stress Analysis
- Materials Selection
- Failure Analysis
- Reverse Engineering – Design and Materials
- Mold Flow Analysis
- Mold Design
ANALYSIS
HELPING YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT WENT WRONG
PLASTIC PART DESIGN ANALYSIS
Plastic parts often fail because they were not designed properly. Mechanical stresses placed upon a part can cause a part to fail if the part is not designed appropriately to distribute the stresses evenly across the part. If a part contains areas where stresses can concentrate, the part will likely fail. When failure occurs, our experts can analyze the situation and provide expert witness services regarding improper part design. Our computerized part design capabilities allow us to vividly explain why a particular part failed due to improper part design.
Material Selection
Occasionally the material selected for manufacture of the part does not have sufficient mechanical strength or chemical resistance properties needed for the part to stand up to the demands of an application in which the part is being used. When failure of a plastic part occurs because the wrong material was used, out experts can explain why the material was wrong and what material should have been used to manufacture the part.
Material Contamination
In today’s world, because of global competition, many plastic parts are manufactured in third world countries. Third world countries often lack good manufacturing practices (GMP) including poor quality control (QC) practices. As a result, poor plastic part quality including material contamination, are leading causes of failure. Our experts utilize the latest forensic analysis technology including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), digital imaging technology, gas chromatography – mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and electron dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to identify root causes of failure of materials and the role material contamination and poor manufacturing practices may have played in causing a plastic part to fail.
PLASTIC PART FAILURE ANALYSIS
The lab you choose makes a difference.
The Plastic Expert Group has a network of testing laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. Our network laboratories are accredited and/or certified.
We perform most ASTM methods on plastics including:
- CPVC fire sprinkler pipe (ASTM F442)
- PVC and CPVC potable water piping (ASTM F1785)
- PEX pipe (F2788)
- PE-AL-PE pipe (ASTM F1281)
- Chemical compatibility of plastics (ASTM D543)
- Tensile testing (ASTM D638)
- Composition analysis using FTIR (ASTM E1252)
- Thermal analysis using DSC/TGA/DMTA (ASTM D3417)
- Molecular weight analysis using SEC (ASTM D5296)
- Shore Durometer Hardness (ASTM D2240)
- Weatherability testing (ASTM D 2565)
- Impact strength (ASTM D1709)
- Filler content (ASTM D5630)
- Additives analysis using LC-MS
- Fracture surface analysis using SEM
Because our experts have extensive background in all areas of plastics, they can research and report the vital facts in any litigation involving the failure of plastic materials including PVC, CPVC, Nylon, PP, PE, PS, PC, PET, rubber, coatings, adhesives, and composite materials.
Our lead failure expert (Dr. Duane Priddy) is highly recognized for his scientific contributions to the science of plastic materials. Two of Dr. Priddy’s papers; “Why Plastic Parts Occasionally Fail” and “Why PVC/CPVC Pipes Occasionally Fail” are available to request.
Our teams of experts analyze and research every aspect of plastic failure, including the manufacturing process to determine whether the cause of failure is due to product design, improper processing procedure, material handling, or contamination. Our experts’ personal involvement in the investigations gives them the ability to report not only the facts, but the procedures used to obtain those facts.
Since our experts are world-renowned scientists and authors (as evidenced by >500 scientific papers, >100 US Patents, many books, and encyclopedia articles on plastics), our expert opinion reports are meticulously written and scientifically accurate as evidenced by many client testimonials. Please feel free to contact any of our references.
Obtain a quote for our forensic failure analysis services.