STLE 2025: From the Stand to the Stage
Written by Amitha Clark
STLE 2025 is wrapped. Five days in Atlanta, one new instrument on display, a new accessory on the stand, three PCS talks in the programme, and a steady stream of conversations throughout!
Across the exhibition and technical sessions, it was clear that expectations around testing are changing. From boundary film formation to high-speed contact behaviour, researchers and engineers came ready to talk about real-world conditions and the tools needed to test them.
On the Stand
This year we brought the MTM-CC and the HSD to Booths 713 to 715.
The MTM-CC enables testing in controlled gas environments at atmospheric pressure. It’s designed to support research into additive activation, surface chemistry, and reactive tribofilm formation where fluid contact needs to be tightly managed.
The HSD is our new high-speed instrument for studying non-conformal contact conditions which was designed to measure friction in non-conformal contacts at surface speeds up to 60 m/s.
PCS Talks and Highlights
Mission SLIMpossible
Speaker: Dr Alexander MacLaren
Session: Tribotesting I
Time & Location: Wednesday, 9:00am EDT – Courtland
A presentation on improving the reliability of SLIM measurements using new software tools developed at PCS. The talk focused on reducing colour drift and fringe ambiguity, with examples from high-speed interferometry and EHL film analysis.
Simulating Gear Micropitting Wear on a 3 Ring on Roller Rig
Speaker: Marc Ingram (in collaboration with PCS Instruments)
Session: Gears II
Time & Location: Wednesday, 2:20pm EDT – The Learning Centre
Research using the MPR to develop a screening method for micropitting wear under realistic contact conditions.
Thermoviscous EHL Traction Behaviour of Lubricating Oils Using a New Ultra-High-Speed Tribometer
Speaker: Dr Alexander MacLaren
Session: Lubrication Fundamentals III
Time & Location: Thursday, 11:20am EDT – Courtland
A talk focused on high-speed contact testing using the HSD and the influence of rolling speed and temperature on lubricant traction response.
PCS Instruments Across the Event
Beyond our own sessions, PCS Instruments were also discussed in a range of external presentations throughout the week. Talks referencing the MTM, MPR, SLIM, and EHD-HS explored topics including additive performance, rolling contact fatigue, lubricant film durability, and surface characterisation under thermal and load-based stress.
It was encouraging to see such a wide application of our instruments in research coming from both industry and academia; a reflection of how these rigs are being used day-to-day in real-world test development.
Team Takeaways
The stand saw consistent foot traffic throughout the week, with strong interest in both the MTM-CC and our latest instrument, the HSD. Conversations with both new contacts and returning collaborators remained focused and constructive, reflecting the technical priorities shared across the event.
What We Heard on the Floor
High-speed contact testing was a major focus throughout the week. The HSD attracted steady attention, with several people looking to understand how it could be used in their own labs.
SLIM was another regular topic. Measurement repeatability and fringe clarity came up often, especially after Dr Alexander MacLarens’s presentation on the updated software. The new features prompted plenty of follow-up, particularly from those already working with optical measurement.
Gas-phase testing stayed relevant across the event. The MTM-CC and HPR drew interest from those working on additive activation and lubricant behaviour in controlled atmospheres. The talks from Professor Hugh Spikes, Imperial College London, and Joe (Jason) Zhang, Imperial College London, added further weight to these conversations.
Electric vehicles and electrical potential effects also came up frequently. Visitors and speakers alike were talking about how these influence performance and how surface treatments, additives, and testing methods are evolving in response.
And in at least one late-evening debate, there was an impassioned case made for describing surface roughness using power spectral density. That one may reappear in next year’s poster hall.
What Surprised Us
The HSD came up in conversation before visitors even reached the stand. Some people were already aware of it, and a few arrived with clear ideas about how they might use it.
Interest in the SLIM software update was more technical than expected. Several attendees followed up with questions about colour drift correction, speed resolution, and how the changes could improve their own test setups.
Inert testing got more attention than in past years. Conversations around the MTM-CC and HPR were more detailed, and Professor Hugh Spikes, Department of Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London, and Joe (Jason) Zhang's, Imperial College London, talks prompted good follow-up about fluid degradation and stability under inert conditions.
The bearings course before the main programme turned out to be a valuable start to the week. It covered key fundamentals like friction, lubrication, failure modes, and operating effects, and gave the team a solid baseline to build from during the event.
There were also a few standout talks mentioned more than once. Professor Hugh Spikes, Imperial Collect London, Marc Ingram, Ingram Tribology Ltd., and Tom Reddyhoff, Imperial College London, each delivered presentations that cut through the noise. Tom Reddyhoff’s talk in particular sparked interest with his use of high-frequency vibration sensing and machine learning to model friction behaviour.
Stand Highlights
The HSD rig on the stand, fully set up with EC, cooling, and SLIM, helped guide conversations from general interest to detailed discussion. Visitors were able to get a better sense of how the instrument could be configured and applied in their own research.
The MTM-CC remained a steady point of interest, especially for those focused on testing in controlled environments or looking at short-term additive screening.
Sessions presented by the PCS team helped keep the stand busy. Both of Dr Alexander MacLaren's, PCS Instruments, talks and Marc Ingram's micropitting presentation generated follow-up questions and sparked useful conversations about method development and instrument capabilities.
Outside the core content, there were a few highlights that stuck with the team. Poster of the week went to the now-legendary pizza-peel tribology entry. Tom Reddyhoff’s triboemissions session topped the informal shortlist for most talked-about presentation.
There were also postdoc interviews conducted over bowls of chips. A matcha-fuelled talk that went surprisingly well. Some early morning gym sessions. And a lot of tacos. Kieran may not have found his true calling in bartending, but his logistics work definitely made the week smoother.
Despite tight schedules and last-minute adjustments, the team was pleased with the level of engagement throughout the week.
Thank You
Thanks to everyone who visited the stand, joined a session, or made time to talk with the team!
If you’d like to follow up with a question, explore one of our instruments, or connect with the team, get in touch via our contact page or book an appointment here: