Input
What you submit
- SEM images
- EDS results
- Annotated photos
- Failure description and known context
Consulting
Focused Technical Review
SEM Lab’s consulting offer is intentionally narrow: a fixed-scope remote review of submitted technical evidence for teams that need expert interpretation, rather than an open-ended advisory relationship.
Founder-led review
Direct technical interpretation without an open-ended consulting commitment.
Ed Hare
Founder, SEM Lab, Inc.
48
Years in U.S. high-technology manufacturing
47
Years in engineering
29
Years operating SEM Lab, Inc.
Why SEM Lab
Broad technical coverage. Focused consulting format.
Ed Hare supports the full lifecycle of electronic hardware, from materials and manufacturing process challenges to reliability questions and field-failure resolution.
His work spans passives, semiconductors, magnetics, interconnects, protection devices, and the materials systems that drive their behavior, including solders, platings, ceramics, polymers, and specialty alloys.
That breadth is paired with fixed review blocks so clients receive focused, defensible interpretation without open-ended consulting drift.
Output
What you receive
- Written interpretation of likely mechanism
- Confidence and uncertainty framing
- Risk perspective and next-step recommendations
Format
How the engagement works
- Remote and structured written review process
- Fixed 1-hour or 2-hour review blocks at $250 per hour
- Written deliverable by default
Pricing
Simple pricing with clear limits.
These rates apply to the fixed review format: $250 for a 1-hour review and $500 for a 2-hour review. Urgent work or materially expanded scope should be quoted separately.
1-hour review
Focused interpretation
$250
per review
Best for one tightly framed question with a contained evidence set and a clear decision point.
- Written interpretation of likely mechanism
- Confidence and uncertainty framing
- Recommended next steps
2-hour review
Complex or comparative review
$500
per review
Best for broader evidence packages, more ambiguity, or cases that need comparison between multiple plausible mechanisms.
- Expanded evidence review within the selected time block
- Stronger comparison and triage guidance
- Written deliverable only by default
Included
What is included
- Review of the submitted evidence package
- Interpretation grounded in likely mechanism and sequence
- Fixed-scope written recommendations
Not included
What is outside the standard review
- Open-ended support
- Unlimited follow-up questions
- Default phone access
- Physical lab work, sample prep, or testing
How to choose
Review block guidance
| Review block | Best used for | Typical shape |
|---|---|---|
| 1-hour, $250 | Focused interpretation request | One core question with a contained evidence set |
| 2-hour, $500 | Broader or more complex review | Multiple related features, comparisons, or ambiguity that needs sorting |
Next Step
Use the structured intake to determine fit.
The intake form helps SEM Lab keep the review focused. If the case fits the format, the next step is straightforward. If it does not, the response can point you toward a better path.
Additional questions, follow-up review, or expanded analysis are handled as separate paid work rather than bundled into the original scope.