Case studies are well known as valuable teaching tools. Our intent for these case studies is to provide you with a better understanding of what we do and how we approach typical projects at MEE. Each case study is taken from our files and has been edited to present a more casual writing style than our formal reports, but generally follows the structure of our reports and gives an overview of the findings and conclusions from an investigation.
Fire Inside a Stainless Steel Chamber A fire occurred inside a three-story stainless steel chamber for capturing airborne particulates. To...
Several printed circuit board (PCBs), each with 5 multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), were evaluated to characterize the capacitors. Each PCB...
Failed Pigtail Pipes This case study details the failure of recently replaced inlet pigtail pipes for a hydrogen reformer furnace....
Microbiologically-influenced Corrosion The fire protection (i.e., sprinkler) system in a commercial building developed multiple leaks. This system was a wet...
Carburization This case study investigates the failure of multiple type 304 stainless steel perforated plates from a natural gas fired...
Leaking Chemical Storage Tank A chemical storage tank at a manufacturing facility began to leak trace quantities of the chemical...
Failed Boiler Tube This case study follows the investigation of a leak in a lateral water wall tube from a...
Fastener Failure – Creep Rupture This case study details the failure of five threaded rods from a support system within...
Tower Crane Collapse A 300-ft tower crane collapsed onto the intersection of two major streets in downtown San Francisco during...
Fracture of Titanium Sternal Plates A metallurgical evaluation was requested to investigate the fracture of three titanium sternal plates that...
Dishwasher Fitting Failure – Nondestructive Evaluation An inlet valve for the dishwasher in a personal residence leaked water causing damage...
Galvanic Corrosion A metallurgical evaluation was requested to investigate the failure of a plug from a pressure reducing valve in...
A glass lid for a cooking pot cracked spontaneously during hand washing. The lid was about 8 inches in diameter...
The Unlucky Golfer Following an accident on a public golf club, an injured golfer filled suit against the club alleging...
Graphitic Corrosion A corrosion investigation was requested for a sanitary sewer vent pipe that had been in service for approximately...
Leaking Steam Condensate Pot A steam line drip leg was found to be leaking during service. The drip leg is...
The Handbook of Analytical Methods for Materials (HAMM) is a brief tutorial on techniques for materials characterization. The HAMM is intended to provide our visitors with enough information on a technique to determine whether it has the potential to help solve a materials problem.
