Alfred M. Pettinger, Ph.D., P.E.

Dr. Alfred Pettinger is Principal and Vice President responsible for the continued development and execution of ESi’s corporate strategy, with a focus on business and geographic expansion as well as long-range planning and profitability. He also provides direct oversight and management of our Mechanics practice, and leads with a thorough and detail-oriented approach, and a commitment to ensuring exceptional client service and value. 

Dr. Pettinger’s career as a consultant spans more than two decades and includes hundreds of failure analysis investigations.  He is well known for his strong track record of delivery in complex, large loss projects where he brings deep technical expertise, a unique big-picture understanding of operational needs, and a proven yet practical approach. Over the years, Dr. Pettinger has been tapped to build and lead multidisciplinary technical teams on issues of national and international significance.

Mechanics Engineering

Well-known for his expertise in the mechanical behavior of materials, Dr. Pettinger is routinely consulted on issues related to design, reliability, durability, controllability, operation, performance, and regulatory compliance of equipment and machinery. His experience spans the full lifecycle of the equipment, from the initial design phases to transportation, installation, operation, maintenance, and failure analysis. 

Dr. Pettinger has analyzed and developed design solutions for a wide spectrum of industries, including construction, manufacturing, and transportation. He is routinely called upon to investigate issues related to industrial machinery such as pumps, actuators, hydraulic systems, gears, engines, bolted connections, fans, and turbines. Dr. Pettinger has also consulted on patent validity for mechanical apparatus and assisted manufacturers of consumer and commercial products with product recalls.

Pipeline Operations and Analysis

Incidents involving pipelines can rapidly become mission-critical, escalating in size, complexity, and visibility – and creating significant risk and liability. Dr. Pettinger’s technical know-how, combined with his field experience has made him a “go-to” partner for matters ranging from routine operation and maintenance of pipelines (both onshore and offshore) to catastrophic pipeline failures. He has consulted on oil and gas pipeline systems in North America, South America, and Asia, as well as piping systems for buildings and nuclear plants.

Aviation & Aerospace

Earlier in his career, Dr. Pettinger worked in Germany for the European aerospace industry. He brings this experience to his aviation and aerospace work at ESi, where he focuses on structural engineering, damage tolerance, and failure analysis. Recent projects include evaluating wing and fuselage designs as well as repair procedures for commercial aircraft and business jets. 

Dr. Pettinger earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering/Applied Mechanics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  He has presented at numerous industry and technical forums, and published numerous papers and reports.

Source of Damage Determined for Gas Turbine Engines Project