Professional Summary
Janet Cotton is an experienced metallurgical and materials engineer with expertise in failure investigation, product development, quality control and process control. She has worked with a range of materials including ferrous alloys (steel, stainless steels and cast irons etc) as well as non ferrous metals (aluminium alloys, refractory materials, titanium alloys etc). Further, her experience extends to non metallic materials such as composite materials (glass/carbon/kevlar fiber re-inforced plastic, polymers, rubbers and advanced ceramic materials). Through understanding structure property relationships of engineering materials, the fracture surface of failed components can be analysed and the failure mode determined. This information is coupled with the operating conditions associated with the component to determine the root cause of failure such as user abuse, end of life cycle or an extraneous event etc. Many of these failure investigations are conducted on ship machinery, engine components and structural components such as pistons, connecting rods, bearings, rudders, propellers, stancheons, winches, shelving and racking systems etc.
Expertise
- Root cause failure investigations of engineering components.
- Metallographic testing and analysis.
- Materials testing and analysis.
- Commercial Research and Development.
Education
University:
Degree
- Bachelor of Science Materials Engineering-Dec 1995
- PhD Materials Engineering March 2000 University
Awards:
- Microscopy Society of South Africa Congress 1998 best student paper prize
- University Associateship from the National Research Foundation (NRF)
Attorney/Liability Claim Support Experience
Type of Matter: Rudder failure on board the MV”Azure”
Law Firm: Bowman Gilfillan Attorneys
Service Provided: Metallurgical testing, root cause failure investigation
Date: July 2005
Place: Cape Town South Africa
Type of Matter: Intermediate Shaft Failure MV “Tradewinds Sun”
Law Firm: Bowman Gilfillan Attorneys
Service Provided: Metallurgical testing, Polymer testing, root cause failure investigation
Date: November 2005
Place: Cape Town South Africa
Type of Matter: Investigation of capacitor as a possible initiator of a fire
Law Firm: Bowman Gilfillan Attorneys
Service Provided: Metallurgical testing, Polymer testing, root cause failure investigation
Date: September 2008
Place: Cape Town South Africa
Type of Matter: Investigation of failed rigging bolts on board the MV “Coral Sea”
Law Firm: Webber Wentzel Bowens Attorneys
Service Provided: Metallurgical testing, root cause failure investigation
Date: August 2008
Place: Cape Town South Africa
Type of Matter: Investigation of fractured bollard for the MFV “Advance”
Law Firm: Webber Wentzel Bowens Attorneys
Service Provided: Metallurgical testing, root cause failure investigation
Date: March 2009
Place: Cape Town South Africa
Type of Matter: Investigation of failed stanchions on board the MV ”Lola”
Law Firm: Shepstone and Wylie Attorneys
Service Provided: Metallurgical testing, root cause failure investigation
Date: March 2009
Place: Cape Town South Africa
Type of Matter: Investigation of failed big end bolts on board the MFV “Oosterdam”
Law Firm: Reillys Attorneys
Service Provided: Metallurgical testing, root cause failure investigation
Date: August 2007
Place: Cape Town South Africa
Type of Matter: Investigation of failed hull panels on board the MFV “Obsession”
Law Firm: Dawson Edwards
Service Provided: Materials testing of glass fibre re-inforced plastic root cause failure investigation
Date: November 2008
Place: Cape Town South Africa
Lectures
Lecture Title: Surface Treatment of Thermally Oxidised Titanium Alloy for Improved Wear Resistance
Organization: Microscopy Society of South Africa
Date: December 2003
Lecture Title: Retrieval Investigation of Failed Total Hip Replacements
Organization: Microscopy Society of South Africa
Date: December 2003
Lecture Title: Distortion of A Thin Walled Aluminium Alloy Product During Quenching
Organization: Centre for Materials and Manufacturing (CIMM) industry conference
Date: November 2004
Lecture Title: Learning to Fly
Organization: The Big Idea Conference
Date: July 2004
Lecture Title: Metallurgy as a Tool for Root Cause Failure Investigation
Organization: The South African Institute for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects
Date: May 2008
Lecture Title: Metallurgy as a Tool for Root Cause Failure Investigation
Organization: Maritime Law Society
Date: August 2008
Publications
Title of Article: Materials Selection for Reduced Corrosion Embrittlement
Publication: Chemical Technology
Date: November 2002
Memberships
- Stainless Steel Development Association
- Engineering Council of South Africa
- Maritime Law Association
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