When products fail and conventional testing methods reach their limits, the real work begins for Dr. Schmidt and his team at GWP. As head of the Analytics Department, he specializes in the interdisciplinary investigation of highly complex failure cases – from embrittled silicone implants to defective train door buttons.
In this interview, Dr. Schmidt provides fascinating insights into the world of forensic material analysis, talks about detective laboratory work, and explains why experience and curiosity are the most important tools in his profession.
Dr. Schmidt, you head the Analytics Department at GWP. What exactly makes your work so special?
Our work always becomes exciting when others reach their limits. We come into play when damage cases are particularly complex – be it in medical technology, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineering. Our strength lies in the interdisciplinary analysis of damage causes, especially in the areas of plastics, adhesives, silicones, and composites. Often, combinations of different materials and manufacturing processes lead to unforeseen problems – that's where our work begins.
Can you give a concrete example?
With pleasure. Some time ago, we had a case involving prematurely failing silicone implants. The outer shells suddenly became porous, causing serious problems for patients. In our laboratory, we used FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and thermal analysis to investigate the material composition and degradation phenomena. Ultimately, we were able to show that insufficient crosslinking of the silicone occurred during a specific production step – triggered by a minimal impurity in a catalyst that inactivated it. We were able to recreate this in the laboratory. Without in-depth material and trace analysis, this would have been almost impossible to resolve.
That sounds like detective work in the lab.
This is actually often the case! Another example involved defective control panels on regional train doors. The buttons failed after a short period of time. Our investigation showed that the interaction of UV radiation, mechanical stress, and an unsuitable plasticizer caused the surface of the plastic cover to age more rapidly. Here, too, it was the combination of several factors that led to failure – and it's precisely these kinds of challenges that appeal to us.
What makes your team stand out within GWP?
We enjoy a unique position because we focus on highly complex issues where traditional testing methods are often inadequate. Whenever chemicals are involved, when polymers, additives, or composite materials are involved, our team comes into play. We have an extremely broad portfolio of laboratory testing services – from chromatographic methods to non-destructive testing – and combine this with decades of experience in materials science and manufacturing technologies. This combination is very rare in terms of depth.
How important is experience in your work?
Essential. Many error patterns appear similar at first glance, but their causes differ fundamentally. Experience helps to correctly assess hypotheses, systematically rule them out, and analyze them in a targeted manner. At the same time, curiosity is important – you must never stop asking questions. This is the only way to get to the root cause of difficult cases.
What motivates you personally about this work?
The diversity is clear. Every failure scenario is different. And technological developments are constantly bringing new materials, new processes, and new combinations – this keeps our work vibrant. There's hardly anything more exciting than finding the cause of a complex failure that was previously a mystery. That's when we know we're making a real contribution to product safety, reliability, and further development.
Dr. Schmidt, thank you very much for the interview!
Curious to know more?
Write to us analytics[at]gwp[dot]eu
