Surface World February 2020 Surface World February 2020 | Page 10
SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY
WE ARE AT SURFACE WORLD LIVE 2020
Forensic science and engineering at Materials and Engineering
Research Institute.
The Materials and Engineering Research Institute at Sheffield Hallam University has a 50 strong team of academic
experts backed by an extremely broad range of investigative equipment. We use science and engineering to solve
industrial problems. From materials analysis to infrastructure management, our innovations give our clients
competitive advantage. With our focus on developing science into real-world applications, we're uniquely placed
to solve the problems faced by businesses.
By combining distinct but overlapping specialisms from materials support and engineering simulation to lean
operations and value stream mapping - we can tackle a comprehensive view of how best to push your business
forward. We've helped our customers to design new factories, address quality and supply chain issues and access
regional grant funding for research activities. We can investigate failure - from rapid turnaround analysis to expert
witness provision. And we can help expand markets and target your investment plans with our market research
reports and technical expertise.
The range of skills and expertise available makes MERI an excellent place to start a search for expert witness
services. We have delivered for clients requiring services in forensic science and engineering across a range of
technical subjects.
“We got a report from Dr Fielden in a very complex (automotive) civil case. His report was very clear
and concise and was instrumental in the Claimant discontinuing his claim. His turnaround was very
quick and he was always willing to make time to discuss additional questions we had."
- Janice Doherty of Keoghs LLP
Specific areas of excellence include:
Forensic engineering : why failure happened. Was failure caused by incorrect materials specification,
incorrect maintenance, contamination, or was the vehicle simply misused?
Forensic science: given chemical samples, can evidence be gained of vehicle history? Does damage show
evidence of contact with another vehicle and if so, which one?
Materials that we have worked with include: glass, ceramics, lightbulbs, metals, cements, brickwork stone, and
polymeric materials, paints, cleaning solutions, cables and bullets.
Image 1: SEM image of a brittle
overload fracture in a Spheroidal
Graphite Cast Iron component.
Caused serious injury.
Image 2: Corrosion caused by stray electric
current, which effectively destroyed the
radiator of a heavy duty diesel engine.
Analysis revealed cause of failure.
Image 3: SEM image of the filament
from an indicator light bulb. Vehicle
was indicating to turn, at a moment of
a collision.
For more information on our service, please contact us on 0114 225 3500 or at [email protected].
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SHOW GUIDE 2020
read online: www.surfaceworld.com