Helping you engineer your fatigue and fracture test program for efficiency and accuracy.
Advanced Fracture Mechanics Associates, LLC is a Connecticut-based specialized testing and engineering practice focused on fatigue and fracture mechanics. It provides custom mechanical testing, high-precision specimen machining, consulting and modeling, probability of detection crack set development, and FLcgs test automation software and hardware systems.
Raymond "Keith" KerseyFounder, Testing Specialist
Michael MarottaData Analyst, Modeling Specialist, Programmer
Timothy WenglowskiMachining Specialist
Richard PettitFracture Mechanics Consultant
Matthew StrenkowskiSystems Engineer
Custom mechanical testing programs spanning standard and non-standard geometries under cryogenic to elevated temperature conditions.
Development of customized testing procedures and matrices tailored to specific program goals and non-standard specimen geometries.
Mechanical testing under extreme conditions ranging from cryogenic temperatures up to over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit.
High-resolution fracture surface documentation using precise AxioVision Zeiss microscopes and advanced SEM imaging.
Analysis of fatigue and crack growth data, including NASGRO modeling and comprehensive reporting.
In-house machining capabilities supporting the fabrication of high-tolerance test specimens, fixtures, and specialized laboratory hardware.
Precision fabrication of standard and complex test specimens from various engineering alloys.
Tight-tolerance wire EDM using advanced Sodick equipment for precision cuts and specimen spacing.
High-speed 3-axis CNC milling and surface grinding for fixtures, tooling, and test components.
Design and production of custom-built laboratory fixtures, such as tack weld holders, SEN wedges, and knurled knobs.
Specialized engineering advisory services for mechanical test program management, data interpretation, and training.
Data analysis and comprehensive reporting to guide mechanical testing programs and experimental design.
Development of unified fatigue and fracture material design systems to predict long-term performance.
Creation of educational materials and coursework on the principles of fatigue, fracture mechanics, and specimen analysis.
Next-generation software and hardware systems designed in partnership with FractureLab to automate fatigue and crack growth testing.
Automated test control software supporting servo-hydraulic and piezo actuators with multi-segment queue systems.
ASTM E647 compatible postprocessor supporting multi-format data inputs, threshold Paris Law fits, and advanced analysis options.
Turnkey hardware packages including ADwin controllers, potential drop (PD) systems, amplifiers, and custom enclosures.
Crack set development and validation using combined visual and non-visual inspection techniques.
Generating precise crack lengths using automated compliance and potential drop stop criteria.
Documenting crack profiles and lengths under precise high-magnification optical microscopes.
Industrial · Manufacturing
Lebanon, CT · Industrial · 2025 · Client: Commonwealth Fusion Systems
Developed a unified low cycle fatigue design system evaluating the behavior of Type 316LN stainless steel and Inconel 718 at cryogenic temperatures, using test data from Commonwealth Fusion Systems and historical Japanese Society of Mechanical Engineers standards.
Lebanon, CT · Manufacturing · 2025
Designed and fabricated novel 3-point bending fatigue fixtures capable of conducting stable Potential Drop electrical signal measurements through specimen ends for uninterrupted crack length tracking.