Here at ARDL, we maintain the world's leading forensic services for rubber failure analysis, including:

     • Failure Mode and Effect Analysis
     • Intellectual Property Issues
     • Materials Analysis
     • Optical and Electron Microscopy
     • Rubber Product Failure Analysis
     • Steelcord Adhesion Studies

Tires sometimes fail before they wear out. If tire failure leads to property damage or personal injury, regardless of the cause of tire failure, tire manufacturers can find themselves involved in litigation (claims and lawsuits) in the United States, even when there is no problem with their product.

Experience
ARDL's President, Mr. Jerry Leyden, has been involved in tire failure analysis as a tire expert since 1975. He has testified as an expert in rubber product failure analysis in the contiguous United States, Hawaii, Alaska, Germany and the Virgin Islands.

He has been employed as both a tire compounder and a tire engineer, and has written many technical articles on the failure analysis of rubber products.

Non-Destructive Testing
ARDL's laboratory is well equipped to perform non-destructive and destructive testing on tires. Non-destructive testing often requires 360° X ray, Shearography, Visual and Microscopic analysis, and documentation utilizing digital photography.

Destructive Testing
When destructive testing is required and is authorized by the court, ARDL can dissect tires, test materials removed from the tire, and examine exposed surfaces with light optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy or transmission electron microscopy as appropriate. ARDL runs extensive chemical as well as physical tests on tires and tire components as required. ARDL also has a 6-station roadwheel for R&D studies or experimentation.

Courtroom Demonstrations
Courtroom demonstrative aids are helpful in presenting and explaining failure modes and tire conditions to jurors. ARDL is skilled in fabricating demonstrative aids and presentations. Your lawyer will understand the importance of this expertise.