Constructing Competence in Failure Analysis: A Technical and Human Factors Guide

This comprehensive book, by Debbie Aliya, is for professionals and students of failure analysis. It offers a new six-step method for fractography, addressing human factors, and incorporating epistemology (the theory of knowledge) to build confidence in conclusions. It provides a holistic approach to failure investigations, covering technical aspects like visual inspection and NDT, while also exploring how human factors enable or hinder the process. This big book includes real-life examples and specialized vocabulary for better communication. Key aspects of the book include a modern, comprehensive six-step method for fractography and a new structure for classifying damage categories. The author demonstrates how human factors impact investigations and provides strategies to overcome related difficulties. She integrates epistemology (the theory of knowledge) in order to help practitioners build justifiable confidence in their conclusions. The book is aimed at professionals (engineers, attorneys) and students; its content is accessible to those with 90% understanding, while still offering new skills for long-time practitioners. It's big book including numerous images, real-life stories, and specialized vocabulary to improve clarity for both technical and non-technical clients.

EDITORIAL REVIEW

"I enjoyed reading the book and getting deeper in your mindset for failure analysis. In addition to the mindset and technical parts, there is one huge contribution of this book for us, non-native English speakers... and that is engineering vocabulary. You have explained all the main terms widely enough to understand the background of the word. We all know that terminology between languages is not possible to exchange one-to-one with a direct translation. In my role working part-time at the local university as a researcher and teacher, I will always highly recommend this book to my students, to gain the proper language skills and mindset for their future in materials engineering. Finally, let me congratulate you for capturing your lifetime of knowledge for this book. Thank you very much for including me as part of the review process." - Libor Trsko, PhD, Research Centre of the University of Zilina & Materials Engineer at Danfoss Power Solutions

DEBBIE ALIYA

Debbie Aliya has 35+ years experience in the development and use of applied critical and creative thinking skills in failure analysis, materials selection and characterization, and specification preparation for structural applications. This includes engineering consulting as well as working in and managing operations for commercial mechanical, metallographic and chemical testing labs. Ms. Aliya has spent decades planning curriculum, teaching and mentoring others in the following topics: engineering consulting, failure analysis, materials testing, engineering philosophy, and heat treating. She reviews technical work in the "Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance" and is an expert witness.

PETER P. RIED, JR.

"A unique interactive encyclopedia. An important reference for multi-disciplinary problem solving, representing the enduring legacy of a distinguished career invested working and teaching at the nexus of critical thinking for mechanical and materials engineering. Debbie’s structured approach to failure analysis, often incorporating unconventional, even provocative insights, provides a valuable primer for anyone involved with or responsible for product design, development, manufacturing, testing, or continuous improvement."

DR. GEORGE PANTAZOPOULOS, Technology and Quality Manager, ELKEME, Hellenic Research Centre for Metals S.A.

"My compliments for the seventh chapter: it covers a lot of crucial topics in real world Failure Analysis, through a series of Case Histories. I should mention that the style of the presentation transmits a vivid and very spontaneous spirit which is found in classical novels and literature. It is certainly not usual in technical books and that makes this contribution truly original and innovative."

STEVE BATZER

"A Book that Pays Attention to Scale - This is an outstanding book for the beginner and experienced alike, giving numerous metallurgical insights developed over a successful failure analysis career. Particularly of interest is the description of the modern method of fractography; that is, thinking about the loading of the component and the stresses developed, then characterizing the damage at the Macro, Meso, Micro, and atomic scales. Many of the classic texts (e.g., Don Wulpi's Understanding How Components Fail, and Mars Fontana's Corrosion Engineering) do not describe the overall thought process and attention to scale that Debbie covers comprehensively. I have read and gladly endorse this book. It provides useful key insights..."