Case Studies

Engineering Evidence From Real Product Audits

Product sourcing, supplier evaluation and verification support from China.

Teardown / Test Comparison Laboratory Verified Report

Case 01 — Portable Tire Inflator

5,200mAh Series vs Parallel Battery Fraud Audit

A quotation promised a 5,200mAh pack. The battery that arrived was not the series configuration the specification implied, and independent measurement told a different runtime story.

  • Battery
  • BOM Audit
  • Teardown
Client Problem

The quote promised a 5,200mAh pack and the buyer priced the product on that runtime. Benchmark testing returned roughly half the expected usable time, and the factory could not explain the cell arrangement.

Analysis

The pack was opened and every cell measured individually. Cell identity, series or parallel configuration, protection board design and wiring gauge were documented against the quotation.

Solution

A written component-level audit was issued with measured capacity, cell identity and configuration evidence, so the gap could be presented commercially instead of argued about.

Result

$45k dispute prevented — the evidence pack settled the claim before payment cleared, and the specification was rewritten for the next order.

Audit scope: battery pack configuration, measured capacity, protection board, claimed versus delivered specification.

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Teardown / Test Comparison Laboratory Verified Report

Case 02 — High-Speed Hair Dryer

Brushed vs BLDC Motor Misrepresentation

The unit was sold as a high-speed brushless dryer. Component identification inside the housing showed a brushed motor — a different cost, lifetime and noise profile than the buyer was pricing.

  • Motor
  • BOM Audit
  • Teardown
Client Problem

Samples were quoted with a brushless motor rated for high-speed operation. The buyer needed to confirm whether that motor was actually inside the unit before committing to a production order.

Analysis

The motor was identified during teardown, then checked against its rated speed limits, the controller design and the material and construction of the rotor assembly.

Solution

A sourcing upgrade path was specified with a motor class and speed rating the factory could actually supply, and the product claim was rewritten to match the component.

Result

Sourcing upgraded to a 110,000 RPM motor class — the claim now matches the part that ships, and the specification carries a verification step.

Audit scope: motor class identification, controller review, rated speed verification, sourcing upgrade specification.

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Teardown / Test Comparison Laboratory Verified Report

Case 03 — High-Speed Handheld Fan

Battery Runtime & Thermal Throttling Audit

Advertised runtime did not survive continuous use. Measured capacity and rising case temperature showed the unit was throttling long before the claim.

  • Battery
  • Thermal
  • PCB
Client Problem

The advertised runtime assumed ideal conditions. In continuous use the fan slowed down noticeably, and returns started appearing on the first production batch.

Analysis

Cell capacity was measured against the stated rating, then runtime and case temperature were logged across a full discharge cycle to find exactly where performance dropped.

Solution

A custom PCB and protection IC specification was defined so that discharge, temperature and current limits are controlled by design instead of by the cell's own protection alone.

Result

Runtime and thermal behaviour became predictable and repeatable across units — the failure mode was designed out instead of absorbed by support.

Audit scope: measured cell capacity, continuous runtime curve, thermal behaviour, PCB and protection IC specification.

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Teardown / Test Comparison Laboratory Verified Report

Case 04 — Ultrasonic Water Flosser

IPX7 Waterproofing & Pump Longevity Audit

The unit was marketed as fully waterproof. Sealing design, pump duty cycle and the joints most exposed to water told a different story.

  • Waterproofing
  • Pump
  • Quality
Client Problem

Warranty returns clustered around water ingress and pump failure after a few months, while the product claim promised full IPX7 protection.

Analysis

Sealing joints, gaskets and the pump assembly were inspected, and the ingress protection design was compared against both the claimed rating and the duty cycle the pump was actually asked to run.

Solution

A revised specification for gasket material, sealing sequence and pump duty rating was issued, with a first-article inspection plan for the production run.

Result

Return rate reduced to under 0.5% once the revised specification was implemented across the batch.

Audit scope: ingress protection design, sealing and gasket review, pump duty cycle, first-article inspection plan.

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