Forensics

Non-Fire Forensic Investigation

Fatigue crack in a crankshaft journal.

Failure analysts will be puzzled by the setout of this website. This is because we have chosen to do it in the way that insurance people think of losses. Thus non-fire is everything that is not fire (of course) or marine, liability, vehicular or cranes. This means the following.

Machinery Breakdown

The largest section in this site, with five subsections and many entries on particular subjects.

Rack Collapses

These are particularly enjoyable to investigate, suiting people who cut their teeth on Meccano or Lego.

High-Tech Equipment Consultation

There is much bluff in this area of insurance. It sometimes seems that the slightest bump or touch of water is all that is required for a machine to have to be sent back to Europe or USA for assessment by the manufacturer. All too often the combined cost of transport, testing and replacement parts equals the cost of a new machine.

Melting of steel tubes in the air preheater of a palm oil estate boiler. The water level droped so low in the boiler that there was no cooling of the hot gases. The head of the bolt at top corroded away because the carbon steel bolt was used with a stainless steel washer.