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Tribology

In the field of Tribology, our specialty lies in the development of innovative composite materials that possess outstanding thermal stability and low friction coefficients. These properties allow for prolonged service life even in the most demanding applications. Our approach involves a comprehensive analysis of the specific technical requirements or research questions, coupled with our extensive expertise gained from fundamental scientific research.

When creating new materials, we employ custom-designed tribometers fitted with high-precision sensors and employ pioneering testing procedures. These tools and methods help us gain a deep understanding of the intricate interaction between friction and wear, as well as the relationships between material composition, material processing, material microstructure, and tribological properties.

Dr.-Ing.

Andreas Gebhard

Manager Tribology

Special expertise: tribology of plastics, tribometers and tribometry, transfer films, development of plastic composites, laboratory information management, data modeling

Telephone: +49 631 2017 342

Oil film on a polymeric ring during a gear substitute test

Economic Sectors Applications (Examples)
Automotive Bearings and bearing materials
Engineering High accelerated machine parts, piston bearings and calander coatings, rotor/stator systems

Special Expertise and Testing Equipment

Expertise

  • Patented tribological testing procedures, e.g. for detecting transfer films, predicting the thermal expansion of journal bearings, and testing of filaments for papermaking fabrics
  • Characterization of solid lubricants and reinforcing fillers for tribological materials
  • Development of innovative tribological materials based on thermosets and thermoplastics
  • High-precision automated metrology
  • Design, programming, and operation of laboratory information management systems
  • Laboratory automation
  • Polymeric anti-friction coatings for very high temperatures
  • Identification of failure modes in worn components

Testing Capabilities

  • Sliding, abrasion, erosion, fretting
  • Various contact geometries at high specific loads and velocities
  • Lubricated testing

Block-auf-Ring Tribometer

Materials and Questions

Typical Materials

  • Thermosets
  • Thermoplastics
  • Elastomers
  • Glass/carbon/aramid fibers
  • Micro- and nanoparticles
  • Solid lubricants

Typical Questions

  • How do transfer films affect friction and wear in dry sliding?
  • How to predict friction and wear of components based on laboratory tests?
  • How to measure friction of gears with simplified test specimen geometries?
  • How can information systems support laboratory operations?
  • How to measure friction and wear for polymer/polymer slide pairings?

Projects in this field

[Translate to English:]

Design of Injection Molded Plastic Gears

This project aims at the development of a guideline for the suitable design of plastic gears, considering function, material and technology, using a physical and experimentally validated approach.

 

Fortschrittliche tribologische Prüfmethoden

in unterschiedlichen Klimata

[Translate to English:]

IVW-Research Data Management

In addition to the recycling of valuable materials after an aircraft has been in use, the reprocessing of production waste in the manufacture of components can also make a contribution to protecting the environment and reducing costs.

R4PP

Innovative Radial Piston Pump for Food Applications

Efficient radial piston pumps with polymeric high performance composites for food applications

[Translate to English:]

Smart Data

In addition to the recycling of valuable materials after an aircraft has been in use, the reprocessing of production waste in the manufacture of components can also make a contribution to protecting the environment and reducing costs.

Publications from the IVW papers in this field of competence

  • Gebhard, A.

    Creation of an Information Management System for Tribology Laboratories and its Application to Transfer Film Luminance Analysis

  • Jim, B.-C.

    Transferfilm-Luminance-Analysis: A comprehensive transfer film detection and evaluation method

  • Padenko, E.

    PBI-Hochleistungsbeschichtungen für verschleißbeanspruchte Funktionsflächen

  • Sebastian, R.

    Advanced in-situ Measurements within Sliding Contacts

  • Rasheva, Z.

    Polyamidimid-basierte Beschichtungen für schnell laufende Maschinenelemente mit integrierten Tribofunktionen

  • Gyurova, L.A.

    Sliding Friction and Wear of Polyphenylene Sulfide Matrix Composites: Experimental and Artificial Neural Network Approach

  • Harraß, M.

    Tribologische Beanspruchung ausgewählter technischer Kunststoffe unter Roll-Gleit-Kontakt

  • Chang, Li

    Friction and Wear of Nanoparticle Filled Polymer Composites

  • Kameo, K.

    New routes for tailoring metal- and ceramic-based composites for tribological applications

  • Klein, P.

    Tribologisches Eigenschaftsprofil kurzfaserverstärkter Polytetrafluor-ethylen/Polyetheretherketon-Verbundwerkstoffe

  • Oster, F.

    Hochtemperaturbeständige Polymer-Beschichtungen für tribologische Anwendungen

  • Flöck, J.

    Beitrag zur experimentellen und modellhaften Beschreibung der Gleitverschleißmechanismen kohlenstoffaserverstärkter Polyetheretherketone PEEK)Verbunde

  • Reinicke, R.

    Eigenschaftsprofil neuer Verbundwerkstoffe für tribologische Anwendungen im Automobilbereich

  • Hartmann, A.

    Lebenszykluskostenrechnung als strategisches oder operatives Bewertungs- und Planungsinstrument für die Technologie der Faser-Kunststoff-Verbunde

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