ICOBT and WOM joint conference review

Last week the team at PCS Instruments were fortunate enough to be able to attend the joint conference of the 23^rd International Conference on Wear of Materials (WOM) and the 5^th International Conference on Biotribology (ICOBT). We had seven members of staff attend this fascinating event that we are proud to have sponsored.

Jump to the overview!

The four-day event covered a wide range of topics relating to both biotribology and wear of materials and was a great opportunity for the communities in each field to not only develop knowledge in their areas but also learn and take inspiration from people they would not normally have met had the conferences not been merged.

The ICOBT section of the conference was filled with interesting and accessible talks, and it was great to see so much cutting-edge research going on. We were particularly pleased to see our MTM instrument being used so extensively by universities and companies from around the world.

The huge variety of conditions and parameters used in the different MTM tests showed just how powerful a tool it is for this rapidly evolving and expanding field. The continued exploration of the field of biotribology was also reflected in the range of topics covered, which ranged from implants to food feel and from haptics to biomimetics. With such a diverse field of topics, there was plenty from the great speakers to relate to and learn from!

The WOM elements of the conference were equally varied with over 50 sessions being held over the four days. With the field of material wear being established for far longer than biotribology, some might conceivably think there would be less new and innovative research going on, but that is not the case.

Recent advances in technology and understanding were being presented not only in newer fields such as renewable and sustainable technologies but also in fields relating to the rail industry with its considerable 200-year history! This drive for continual improvement across the board is great to see.

Overall, this joint conference can only be described as a resounding success. We want to thank the ICOBT and WOM teams, and the team at Elsevier for putting on such a great event. We also want to congratulate all the fantastic posters that were submitted to the competition. We were proud to sponsor the Biotribology poster award and it was brilliant to see so many great entries! We can’t wait to attend both conferences next time and look forward to hopefully being able to celebrate these fields of research in person!

Questions

What conference were we attending?

PCS Instruments attended and sponsored the 23^rd International Conference on Wear of Materials (WOM) and the 5^th International Conference on Biotribology (ICOBT) which were combined and ran for four days for this year.

What is Wear of Materials?

Wear is the process by which material is removed from the surface of an object, or the deformation of the object, as a result of some form of surface interaction. Wear is a key area of interest in the field of tribology and has been studied for decades. PCS Instruments supplies a range of instruments that can be used to investigate wear and associated processes including the HFRR, the MTM, the ETM and the MPR.

What is Biotribology?

Biotribology is a subset of tribology, focused on biological systems. As such biotribology is found in a wide range of industries. Research in this area is making a difference every day in people’s lives, in a host of ways many wouldn’t even think of. The way your food feels in your mouth, how long your replacement joint lasts and even how you clean your dog’s teeth are all a result of biotribological processes.