Steven B. MacLean is currently researching the chemical and physical behavior of polymeric materials in end-use applications. His specialties include part design and analysis, failure analysis, material specification, testing and patent analysis. Dr. MacLean assists clients in assessing risk in all stages of product life including product development, reliability testing and long-term field performance. He has studied various polymer failure mechanisms including stress overload, creep rupture, fatigue, environmental stress cracking, delamination and weathering. Throughout his career, he has evaluated the suitability of materials for the automotive, sporting goods, medical device, industrial equipment, consumer products, electrical, pipe, and construction industries.
Dr. MacLean is well-versed in product recall investigations led by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Transportation Safety Board(NTSB). He is familiar with the processes of each federal agency regarding the investigation, analysis, and remedies of underperforming products and components. Dr. MacLean is also familiar with testing and material standards published by ASTM International, International Standards Organization (ISO), Underwriters Laboratories (UL), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).
Over the past 20 years, Dr. MacLean has worked on numerous projects related to polymer and composite manufacturing processes including injection molding, compression molding, blow molding, rotational molding, extrusion, fiber spinning, thermoforming, and laminating. In addition, he has investigated failures related to secondary operations used throughout the plastics industry such as metallic plating, adhesive joining, painting and welding. Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. MacLean spent 16 years in the plastics industry at General Electric (GE) Plastics and SABIC Innovative Plastics where he held several technical and leadership positions of increasing responsibility. His activities included material selection and testing for high-demand applications, product safety assessments, failure analysis, and intellectual property analysis.
