Unfortunately, forensic engineering and failure analysis is becoming more and more important in todays
world. Engineering and materials failures can shut down critical process lines, cause structural failures
in buildings as well as machines, result in premature failure or reduced service life, and possibly cause
injuries or fatalities.

Blackfire Engineering got its start doing failure analysis. We were consulted by a manufacturer whose
process equipment and warehoused material was suffering unexpected and damaging corrosion.
Incorrect HVAC design, while meeting ASHRAE guidelines, was the cause of tens of thousands of
dollars of damage. Blackfire determined the cause, and offered a cost effective solution that corrected
the problem, and saved the manufacturer energy costs as a bonus.

The images below are showing a fracture surface of a wire winding shaft. The shaft supported a spool of steel wire, weighing up to 6,000 pounds. The process necessitated frequent and abrupt start and stop action. Inspection of the part showed significant weld porosity and oxidation, the cause for the failure. The engineers at Blackfire quickly and cost effectively identified the problem, and worked to develop a solution to our clients problem.