Dr. Michael R. Maughan is a mechanical engineer and materials scientist offering litigation support in product liability, design defect, and manufacturing defect matters. He brings an uncommon combination of hands-on industrial design engineering experience and deep research credentials in manufacturing processes and materials science, making him effective in cases where the central dispute involves how a product was designed, how it was built, or why it failed.
Before entering academia, Dr. Maughan spent five years as a design engineer and engineering lead, designing products manufactured through plastic injection molding, die casting, sheet metal fabrication, circuit board assembly, electrical enclosure fabrication, and additive manufacturing. That experience gives him direct working knowledge of what appropriate engineering design looks like at the process level, how manufacturing constraints shape design decisions, what tolerances and margins are realistic, and how process failures produce specific defect signatures.
As Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Idaho, Dr. Maughan leads a research program in advanced manufacturing, materials characterization, and process-structure-property relationships. He has authored 35 peer-reviewed publications, holds five U.S. patents, and has edited two books on manufacturing and materials science. His research spans additive manufacturing (metal, polymers, and composites), laser and friction stir welding, surface treatment effects on fatigue strength, and nanoscale mechanical characterization of defect structures. Competitive research funding exceeds $10 million from NSF, DoD, NASA, DOE, and industry partners.
Dr. Maughan holds a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering from Purdue University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Idaho and Washington. He is available nationwide for case review, expert reports, deposition, and trial testimony.
Credentials
- Ph.D., Materials Engineering, Purdue University
- M.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Idaho
- B.S., Mechanical Engineering (Magna Cum Laude), University of Idaho
- Registered Professional Engineer — Idaho & Washington
- Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Idaho
- $10+ million in total research funding from NSF, DoD, Idaho National Laboratory, NASA, and industry partners among others
- 35 peer-reviewed journal publications in manufacturing processes, materials characterization, additive manufacturing, and welding
- Five U.S. utility patents in mechanical and electrical engineering design
- Editor of Fracture Behavior of Nanocomposites and Reinforced Laminate Structures
