Since 1850 we have known that metal subjected to fluctuating stresses will fail at a stress much lower than required to cause fracture on a single quasi static pull to break.

Aerospace manufacturers are continually striving to reduce the running costs of their components through reduced weight, improved efficiency or longer service periods, making them more attractive to their market.

Composite materials are being used in an ever-increasing variety of products and applications, as more and more industries realize the benefits that these materials offer.

We are all acquainted with the various ways that materials break when they are loaded past their limit: the brittle snap of a plastic part or the tearing of a pop top tab are the familiar results of a large overload.

Since the beginning of human aviation history, failures caused by engineering fatigue have been a common cause of structural failures.