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Sofronas, A.

Consulting Engineer, Houston, Texas

Tony Sofronas, D. Eng, was the worldwide lead mechanical engineer for ExxonMobil Chemicals before retiring. He now owns Engineered Products, which provides consulting and engineering seminars on machinery and pressure vessels. Dr. Sofronas has authored two engineering books and numerous technical articles on analytical methods.

Engineering Case Histories: Case 95—How to avoid becoming overwhelmed in a failure situation

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

When you are involved with a major failure and find yourself staring at pieces of debris scattered all over the area, it can be easy to become overwhelmed.

Engineering Case Histories: Case 94: Why mentors are important for industry

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

When I started working in industry 50 years ago, it was management’s job to have a senior engineer watch over my work. Much of the quality of my analytical work and technical discipline were formed early in my career with help from these engineers.

Engineering Case Histories: Case 93: Hints on searching the literature

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

Gathering accurate data is essential for failure analysis and other types of research.

Engineering Case Histories: Case 92: The danger of pneumatic testing complacency

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

With proper safety, planning and implementation, pneumatic testing of piping and vessels has been performed successfully for many years.

Engineering Case Histories: Case 91: Helping those interested in a technical career

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

As engineers and managers, we are often approached by parents or friends interested in a technical career for their children or others.

Engineering Case Histories: Case 90: Precautions when working near equipment

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

Most machines and pressure vessels are designed with safety in mind, but they can release large amounts of energy if not constructed, maintained or operated correctly.

Engineering Case Histories: Case 89: Cracking of welds due to weld fatigue

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

Pressure vessels, piping and fabricated structures adhering to recognized welding codes rarely fail in static loading, unless they are damaged or severely overloaded.

Engineering Case Histories: Case 88: Normal operating loads do not usually cause failures

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

Equipment of all types are designed for normal operating conditions, usually with some margin for unknowns.

HP Engineering Case Histories: Case 87: How an engineering consultant can help your company

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

While engineering consultants are available for a wide range of client requirements, such as developing or reviewing specifications for new equipment, this article is only concerned with analyzing equipment failures.

HP Engineering Case Histories: Case 86: Causes of auger feeder screw failures

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

What is an auger feed screw? Feed screws are used to transport granules and other products by pushing or pulling the product along.