# S2E52 Robert States | Solving Failures and the “Been There Done That” Engineering Strategy

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2021-12-10
- Length: 44m
- Episode: 52
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-10-s2e52-robert-states-solving-failures-and-the-been-there-done-that-engineering-st
- Listen: https://teampipeline.us/robter-states-solving-failures/

## Summary

Robert States, a principal at Stress Engineering Services, discusses his career path from plastics engineering to leading a multidisciplinary engineering services firm. He details how his team solves complex product failures, such as environmental stress cracking in medical devices, by leveraging physical testing and predictive modeling rather than relying solely on computer simulations. States emphasizes the importance of the 'been there, done that' strategy, where experienced engineers identify common failure modes early in the design process to prevent costly late-stage issues. He also explains the emerging use of digital twins and physics-based models to validate manufacturing processes and ensure long-term reliability in regulated industries like medical devices.

## Chapters

- [0:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-10-s2e52-robert-states-solving-failures-and-the-been-there-done-that-engineering-st#t=36) Introduction: Robert States and Stress Engineering Services
- [1:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-10-s2e52-robert-states-solving-failures-and-the-been-there-done-that-engineering-st#t=76) Robert States' Career Path: From Plastics Engineering to Multinationals
- [3:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-10-s2e52-robert-states-solving-failures-and-the-been-there-done-that-engineering-st#t=238) Transitioning from Corporate Roles to an Engineering Services Model
- [10:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-10-s2e52-robert-states-solving-failures-and-the-been-there-done-that-engineering-st#t=619) Case Study: Solving Structural Heart Device Tubing Failures
- [13:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-10-s2e52-robert-states-solving-failures-and-the-been-there-done-that-engineering-st#t=819) The 'Been There Done That' Strategy and Failure Logic Models
- [16:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-10-s2e52-robert-states-solving-failures-and-the-been-there-done-that-engineering-st#t=974) Common Failure Modes: Environmental Stress Cracking and Sterilization
- [23:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-10-s2e52-robert-states-solving-failures-and-the-been-there-done-that-engineering-st#t=1400) Four Drivers of Product Development Failure
- [28:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-10-s2e52-robert-states-solving-failures-and-the-been-there-done-that-engineering-st#t=1724) Predictive Analysis, CFD, and the Lag in Medical Device Adoption
- [31:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-10-s2e52-robert-states-solving-failures-and-the-been-there-done-that-engineering-st#t=1872) Digital Twins and Physics-Based Modeling for Reliability
- [37:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-10-s2e52-robert-states-solving-failures-and-the-been-there-done-that-engineering-st#t=2225) Organizational Structure, Tribal Knowledge, and Client Management

## Topics

- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Medical & health devices](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/medical-devices)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

established companies

## Mentioned

- Stress Engineering Services (company)
- Procter and Gamble (company)
- Rubbermaid (company)
- Penn State (other)
- FDA (other)
- West (company)
- BD (company)
- SAS (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [305: Humans Have a Terrible Spec Sheet (Repeat)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2022-04-28-305-humans-have-a-terrible-spec-sheet-repeat) (Embedded.fm)
- [An Interview with Steve Kreuzer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-07-16-an-interview-with-steve-kreuzer) (The Amp Hour)
- [#408: What MedTech Startups Miss: Design Mistakes, Risk Testing & the Myth of the Quick Exit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2025-05-26-408-what-medtech-startups-miss-design-mistakes-risk-testing-the-myth-of-the-quic) (Global Medical Device Podcast)
- [#468: SaMD Issues, Defects & Detection | Shawnnah Monterrey](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2026-08-10-468-samd-issues-defects-detection-shawnnah-monterrey) (Global Medical Device Podcast)
- [333: Project Purgatory](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-06-04-333-project-purgatory) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

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