Speaker: Stephen Pitman

About this event

Why do some low energy light bulbs not last the suggested 100,000 hours? Is it safe to leave that device on overnight? The instruction manual doesn't describe the fault I am seeing - what's wrong with my latest electronic gadget?" 

As consumers we purchase more electrical and electronic items than ever before, yet often take for granted the reliability and safety of these devices. This talk will give an overview of some every day electrical items and the components within them. People are familiar with the terms capacitor, relay and resistor but have little idea what these components are made of or how they work. The talk will describe how these parts are designed for maximum reliability and safety at minimum cost. A number of interesting component failures will be reviewed to show how changes on the microscopic level can lead simply to a light bulb breaking or the safety of an entire building being compromised.

About the speaker

Stephen, a metallurgist by training, has specialised in the analysis of materials and component failures on the micro scale. He began his career with the former British Steel where he was a technical advisor on flat strip products used in white goods and automotive bodies. He then moved to the former DERA Farnborough where he joined the failure analysis group investigating both commercial and military failures of components and transport vehicles. Following this he worked for Oxford Instruments Analytical, who manufacture X-ray detectors for the analysis of materials on the micro scale, before joining ERA Technology in 2006. Stephen currently works within the reliability and failure analysis group where he has undertaken a wide range of failure investigations on components and materials used in the manufacture of electrical goods and electronics.