ONE of the country’s leading forensic materials scientists is set to give a seminar at the Wilton Centre, on Teesside, this week.

Dr René Hoyle is the principal materials and corrosion engineer at Axiom Engineering Associates, based on the Bowesfield Industry Estate, Stockton.

Started in 2003, Axiom Engineering Associates has garnered an international reputation for its investigative techniques into materials failure and corrosion analysis.

The company which works in the petro-chemical, automotive, storage and renewables industries employs more than 40 staff and has a turnover in excess of £2.5m.

Its experts have worked all over the world on a diverse range of projects from chemical storage tanks to high performance sports car engines and even, in one case, the design of a horse’s snaffle bit which kept fracturing.

Dr Hoyle’s lecture, entitled From Liberty Ships to Space Ships – The Importance of Failure Analysis, aims to stress the importance of understanding why things go wrong allowing something to be done to prevent failures reoccurring.

Dr Hoyle – who founded the company with fellow engineer Adam Potter in 2003 – explained: “It’s a broad introduction to the things we do, told, I hope, in an interesting and totally non-threatening way.

“I think plant engineers will enjoy it and I hope to see a few friendly faces, as well as some new ones.”

The event, which is hosted by NEPIC (the not-for-profit North East of England Process Cluster organisation), takes place at the Wilton Centre, in Redcar, on Thursday July 2, from noon until 2pm.

For further information please contact Debbie Fitzpatrick on 01642-442-560 or email debbie.fitzpatrick@nepic.co.uk.