Whether you travel by road, rail, air or sea, you can be sure that tribology has played a part in getting you to your destination safely and efficiently.
Regardless of your mode of transport, tribology will be playing a part in it. Tribology is the study of interacting surfaces in relative motion, which means even the relationship between the sole of a shoe and a path is tribology. For vehicles such as cars and buses, the tribological systems are even more obvious. From the tyre contact with the road, to the brake pads and brake discs, through to bearings, gears and other engine components, tribological research has been conducted on a host of areas. Trains operate with similar tribological issues; they also have engines, brakes, and wheels, but here we are looking at a different scale of load and materials, requiring yet more in-depth research and evaluation. The same is true for boats, planes and bikes.
PCS’ range of instruments have been used by researchers at companies and universities around the world to study the full range of the tribological systems found in transport applications. With PCS’ equipment, researchers can achieve realistic and representative testing of lubricants, coatings and materials at a variety of different conditions, with test parameters and profiles tailored to match what is seen in the field. It is not just one piece of equipment that is used to develop understanding of a tribological system either, often a host of PCS’ instruments are used together to give a better picture of how lubricants, coatings or materials will stand up in the field.
Automotive
Many aspects of automotives are tribologically interesting. Extensive research into a host of components such as gearboxes, engines, bearings and brakes is ongoing around the world.
Aviation
In aviation safety and reliability are key. Tribological investigation is key to making sure parts in planes and helicopters are appropriately protected by lubricants.
Heavy Duty Vehicles
Like with cars, tribology research into heavy duty vehicles is ongoing and for this area higher loads are often focused on, for more representative test conditions.
Marine
Boats and ships operate in wet, often salty, conditions. Tribologists are working hard developing even more environmentally friendly and better performing lubricants for these unique conditions.
Space
Even in space, tribology is still an important consideration. Every moving part on a satellite or space station will have been looked at to make sure they are reliable and appropriately lubricated.
Trains
Not only are the engines and gearboxes of trains subjects of tribological study, but also the contact between the rails and wheels. Even here tribological research is ongoing to optimise every aspect of train travel.
A ball-on-plate reciprocating friction and wear test system, assessing the performance of both fuels and lubricants under boundary conditions.
Learn more
A ball-on-disc instrument for measuring the frictional properties of lubricated and unlubricated contacts under a wide range of rolling and sliding conditions.
Learn more
Ball-on-disc instrument for measuring the frictional properties of lubricated and unlubricated contacts under extreme pressures and a wide range of rolling and sliding conditions.
Learn more
A fully automated, benchtop instrument, measuring lubricant film thickness down to 1nm in the elastohydrodynamic (EHD) lubricating regime.
Learn more
Triple disc machine for researching rolling contact fatigue (RCF) failure mechanisms in the form of micro and macro pitting under lubricated and unlubricated conditions.
Learn more
A fully automated, Ball-on-Cylinder wear test system which provides a fast, repeatable assessment of the lubricity of aviation fuels.
Learn more
Testing grease in conditions that mimic real-world mechanical stresses has always been a significant challenge for researchers. Starvation during these …
Read more
