Case Studies - Materials Processing

The call came from a manager within the Department of Energy. He was beside himself with frustration: one thousand units of a product had been built for him by contractors, adhering to strict standards. Half of the units were failing randomly while in storage. He needed Integrated Consultants to determine and rectify the problem.

Even the military and U.S. government need help sometimes.

We began by reviewing the product specifications, and then visiting the various suppliers in the production chain-material producers, material processors and component fabricators - each of whom were eager to suggest that the fault lay with someone else. Yet, after just a brief review, we were able to isolate the cause of the failure, and consistently reproduce it.

The fault lay with the production specifications: as part of the fabrication process, a spool of stainless was being re-rolled to reduce its thickness, then wound onto the spool. However, as it was re-rolled, the inner most section of the spool was retaining excessive heat; this caused carbon to migrate out, reducing the quality of the steel and causing failures. We recommended an alternative manufacturing treatment which would eliminate the problem.

Integrated Consultants worked repeatedly with government and military organizations, providing expert assistance and prompt, cost-effective solutions.

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