Parker LaMascus

‘Emerging sustainable technologies often operate in harsh tribological environments – for example, the gears in a wind turbine operate under unpredictable loads, while the gears of an electric vehicle run at high speeds with ultralow viscosity lubricants. I study metal oxide antiwear coatings that form in gears or bearings at the points of contact, extending part lifetimes in these harsh regimes. But for our tribocoatings to make an impact on these sustainable applications, we need scientifically rigorous, practical benchtop methods that mimic the real-life conditions. PCS machines have a robust operating range for our use cases, but more importantly, the tool allows our team confidence that our results are repeatable and scientifically sound.’

‘PCS machines have a robust operating range for our use cases, but more importantly, the tool allows our team confidence that our results are repeatable and scientifically sound.’

‘After one Tribology Letters publication in 2020 and another in 2022, our team is still researching the ability of dispersed metal oxide nanocrystals to form antiwear tribocoatings. Every mystery solved seems to uncover two more! We are excited to continue work on this scientific and environmental challenge, and a big part of that is our confidence in the PCS machines in our suite of research tools.’