Dr Stott began his career in Metallurgy as an apprentice learning the basic metallurgical skills of sample selection and preparation, hardness testing, microstructural interpretation, and photography. Having obtain his Ordinary National Certificate in Metallurgy he went on to Brunel University to achieve a Bachelor in Technology in Metallurgy.
In 1976 he obtained a PhD in Metallurgy studying the tribological and corrosion aspects of common bearing metals in hydraulic oil.
In 1979 he spent 3 years in Zambia carrying out failure analysis on mining equipment.
Moving to South Africa he opened up his own metallurgical consultancy which he ran for 29 years. Dealing with failure analysis and metallurgical investigations in mining and earth moving equipment, general engineering equipment. He also has extensive experience in compressed gas cylinder/tank failures. He has been involved as an expert witness in courteases.
In 2018 he returned to England where he is still practicing.
Undirectional fatigue
This bolt failed due to inadequate tightening.
The bolt fracture face shows evidence of ratchet marks, beach marks and small final fracture area.
All engineering components will eventually fail either by breakage or by wearing out. If well designed, manufactured properly and operated within its designed limits, the component will give the intended service and life. However, a component or piece of equipment that fails prematurely is not only a nuisance, but can have more serious consequences in terms of financial, loss of reputation, as well as injury and loss of life. When a piece of equipment fails, how often have you encountered the attitude of replace it and carry on. Just replacing the component without getting some idea as to how it failed, and what contributed to its failure is like burying your head in the sand.
a. Determine the primary cause of the failure. Once identified, corrective action to prevent similar failures in future can be recommended. However, a failure investigation can have other objectives such as:
b. To appoint blame for the failure such as poor design. This may subsequently lead to product liability litigation.
c. Identifying a negligent supplier, individual, or department who has not complied with or has behaved improperly with a requested requirement.
Whilst information gathered from textbooks and the Internet can help to analyse and identify the mode of failure, often it is here that experience counts. Unfortunately, accumulating experience takes time and often over many years of carrying out failure investigation to become competent. In this respect I can help for I have been carrying out failure investigations for over 45 years.