Materials & Corrosion Expertise for Consumer Electronics

Optimize cross-performance functionality for consumer electronics with complex systems.

Modern consumer electronics contain every class of material, from ceramics, glasses, and metals to adhesives, polymer sheets, and composites. Managing the interactions between these materials requires sophisticated analyses to help ensure optimal product performance and safety.

Multidisciplinary expertise.

Our experienced materials scientists and engineers provide unparalleled consumer electronics consulting in collaboration with multidisciplinary experts in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science, thermal sciences, and other areas of expertise to help our clients meet the growing demand for greater functionality from more complex designs.

Full-lifecycle support.

We specialize in helping our clients solve the materials challenges they face during the whole lifecycle of a product, from early prototyping through product development, manufacturing ramp, and managing field returns and issues that arise at end-of-life.

capabilities

Exponent provides tailored solutions for complex materials challenges.

Our scientific approach is effective for finding the root cause of visible display defects across all product generations and ever-changing form factors. We commonly find issues in:
- Bubbles
- Contamination
- Delamination
- Glass fracture
- Metal trace fracture
- Thin film failures
A primary challenge in display failure analysis is the root cause of the failure is at a physically separate location from the failure symptom — the core issues are typically in the complex circuitry that drives the display. Our methodical, multidisciplinary approach enables us to pinpoint and verify the true cause of failure.
Combining surface science, mechanics, and materials science, we help clients control adhesion at critical interfaces. Common adhesion challenges arise because different parts of the supply chain are on either side of the interfacial bond.
Materials selection in light of reliability and field performance is critical. Our interdisciplinary teams ensure that both the mechanical and chemical aspects of adhesion are understood. We are also able to perform custom measurements when coupon-level testing is unavailable.
From critical laser safety issues to simple cosmetic defects, we illuminate complex optical physics to provide solutions across such products as:
- Virtual reality headsets
- Facial-recognition illuminators
- Autonomous vehicles
Optimizing optical performance while ensuring system safety requires a multitude of design iterations throughout the product lifecycle. Exponent offers support on product line risk assessment, performance, and hazard assessment through simulations — as well as standardized and custom testing solutions.
For 50+ years, we've thrived on solving unstructured problems that require bespoke solutions. Some of our services include:
- Fractography
- Root-cause materials failure analysis
- Analyzing mechanical interactions of thin films within larger systems
- Protection circuitry for battery operation, including lithium-ion technology
- Component selection to ensure proper performance
- Wire routing and device construction
- System response to improper usage

We have significant experience assisting clients with a wide variety of products such as:

Cellphones, tablets, and laptops

Wearable electronics, such as watches

Household appliances

Power adapters

Electric vehicles

Children’s interactive toys

Workout equipment

Commercial electronics (e.g., credit card terminals)

Large-scale server facilities

Medical devices

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