About Us
Fracture Technology Associates (FTA) is world-renowned for fracture mechanics testing and consulting and for its proven software and hardware solutions. Since 1984, FTA has been the most trusted name in automated fatigue crack growth and fracture toughness systems.
FTA was purchased by Laboratory Testing Inc. (LTI), a full-service materials testing laboratory, in 2017 with the retirement of FTA founder, J. Keith Donald. After collaborating with FTA for many years on significant projects in fatigue crack growth, LTI was hand-chosen by Mr. Donald to continue the legacy of FTA for automated fracture mechanics test systems and pioneering research in the field due to LTI's core values, capabilities, and the similarities between the two companies. At that time, Ms. Amy Blair, lead FTA technician who had been with FTA for 16 years, became an LTI employee, managed the FTA lab in Bethlehem, PA, and ensured a smooth transition with an emphasis on FTA customers. The FTA lab was relocated to LTI in Hatfield, PA, in 2018, and Ms. Blair worked for LTI until her retirement in 2019.
FTA has a tremendous legacy in fracture mechanics research and testing, with a continuous lineage that can be traced through Lehigh University’s strong legacy in the field since 1962. This includes a lineage that traces back to Professor Paul C. Paris, George Irwin, J. Keith Donald, and others at Del Research, to FTA being founded in 1984. Today, FTA is led by Dr. Matt Adler, who was Professor Bob Wei's last graduate student at Lehigh before his retirement in 2009. This legacy and the continued level of expertise for fracture mechanics significantly differentiates FTA and LTI from its competitors. This level of expertise allows LTI to provide real-time engineering support with deep subject matter expertise for ongoing test projects that it performs.