The tribology of miniature systems is quite different from the tribology of large machinery. This is the first publication to cover on an academic level both the basic concepts of the tribology of miniature systems and some areas of its practical application. A comprehensive survey is given on the specific problems encountered in this field, providing a volume that will be useful in solving professional engineering problems in the fast growing field of precision engineering and microtechnology.The suitability of various materials and lubricants for the tribological systems in miniature mechanisms is discussed. The tribological properties and the friction and wear properties which occur in such systems are analysed. Specific lubrication problems are examined in detail; in particular, the use of special tribological coatings to solve many difficult lubrication problems and to obtain high wear resistance of the rubbing elements is considered. The special investigation techniques used to characterize miniature tribological systems and their elements (e.g. lubricants) are reviewed. The tribological aspects of many of the most common assemblies found in miniature mechanism and electromechanism design are analysed and some practical suggestions are put forward for the rational design of such systems. Also special tribological problems such as those met in computer technology, bioengineering, etc. are presented. The book is intended for tribologists (both seasoned researchers and newcomers) studying the problems of this specific branch of tribology and also for practising engineers active in the design, manufacture and exploitation of various miniature systems.

These papers represent the proceedings from the 29th Leeds-Lyon Symposium on Tribology, 'Tribological Research and Design for Engineering Systems' which was held in September 2002. Over 130 delegates from 18 countries attended the symposium, and the extensive discussions generated over 150 written questions and responses, which are documented at the end of this proceedings volume.There have been many advances in the field of tribology in recent years, with progress being made in the engineering and interaction of surfaces; micro and nano-tribology; elastohydrodynamics; surface films; surface texture; tribochemistry; wear and life prediction; with both experimental and theoretical contributions. These advances were reviewed, and the impact of this understanding on the fundamentals upon total engineering activity in design, manufacture and machine operation were considered.Readership:Scientists and researchers in the field of tribology.

The interdisciplinary nature of tribology encompasses knowledge drawn from disciplines such as mechanical engineering, materials science, chemistry and physics. The interaction between these different fields of knowledge to achieve the final result, the control of friction and wear, is reviewed in this volume. This interdisciplinary approach has proven to be a very successful way of analysing friction and wear problems. In many cases tribology is viewed as an inaccessible subject which does not produce useful answers. In this volume the authors redress this problem by providing a comprehensive treatment of the subject. A basic feature of the book is the emphasis on describing various concepts in an accessible manner for the benefit of non-specialists. This principle is applied from the beginning of the book, where the reader is introduced to the fundamental concept of tribology. This concept is then often used to show how the various topics in tribology are interrelated to form one coherent subject. A direct graphical illustration of the mechanisms controlling tribological phenomena is presented. Carefully prepared diagrams allow rapid appreciation of the basic ideas and facts in tribology. The numerical analysis of hydrodynamic lubrication is supported by a number of computer programs which are included in the book. The control of wear is given extensive treatment with a thorough discussion of lubricant additives, solid lubricants and surface coatings. The effectiveness of coatings in suppressing specific forms of wear is analyzed together with the methods of coatings deposition. The book contains 474 figures and 44 tables. More than 1000 references are provided to give the reader access to more specialized information if required. The volume is intended to provide graduates in engineering or materials science with an understanding of the fundamental concepts of friction, wear and lubrication.

The word tribology was fIrst reported in a landmark report by P. Jost in 1966 (Lubrication (Tribology)--A Report on the Present Position and Industry's Needs, Department of Education and Science, HMSO, London). Tribology is the science and technology of two interacting surfaces in relative motion and of related subjects and practices. The popular equivalent is friction, wear and lubrication. The economic impact of the better understanding of tribology of two interacting surfaces in relative motion is known to be immense. Losses resulting from ignorance of tribology amount in the United States alone to about 6 percent of its GNP or about $200 billion dollars per year (1966), and approximately one-third of the world's energy resources in present' use, appear as friction in one form or another. A fundamental understanding of the tribology of the head-medium interface in magnetic recording is crucial to the future growth of the $100 billion per year information storage industry. In the emerging microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) industry, tribology is also recognized as a limiting technology. The advent of new scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques (starting with the invention of the scanning tunneling microscope in 1981) to measure surface topography, adhesion, friction, wear, lubricant-fIlm thickness, mechanical properties all on a micro to nanometer scale, and to image lubricant molecules and the availability of supercomputers to conduct atomic-scale simulations has led to the development of a new fIeld referred to as Microtribology, Nanotribology, or Molecular Tribology (see B. Bhushan, J. N. Israelachvili and U.

This book presents a general view on thin surface coatings used for tribological applications and it is based on the current state of understanding. The mechanisms of friction and wear in sliding and rolling contacts of coated surfaces are described. Basic information on coating techniques, tribology and surface mechanisms is given. Based on collected experimental works information is given on the properties of thin soft coatings, such as polymer, lamellar solid and soft metal coatings; thin hard coatings, such as nitride, carbide, oxide, boride and diamond and diamond-like coatings; and multi-component and multi-layer coatings. The influence of interface layers and lubricants is highlighted. The methods available for characterization of coated surfaces and for mechanical and chemical evaluation of their tribological properties are described. Tribological evaluation methods for accelerated and field testing and the need for standardization of quality assurance procedures are discussed. A methodology for the selection of thin coatings for tribological applications is presented and knowledge based expert system approaches for coating selection are reviewed. For different application examples, the basic tribological contact mechanisms are described and the possibilities for improving their tribological properties by using surface coatings are discussed. The application examples include sliding and rolling bearings, gears, tools for cutting and forming, erosion resistant applications, magnetic recording systems and bio-medical implants.

Customer expectations and international competition are obliging car and commercial vehicle manufacturers to produce more efficient and cleaner products in shorter product cycle times. The consideration of Engine Tribology has a leading role to play in helping to achieve these goals. Specific areas of interdisciplinary interest include: design influences on fuel economy and emissions; new materials (ceramics, steels, coatings, lubricants, additives); low viscosity lubricants; and low heat rejection (adiabatic) engines.This volume gives a detailed and current review on some basic features of tribology particularly associated with internal combustion engines such as: lubrication analysis relevant to plain bearings, Hertzian contact theory and elastohydrodynamic lubrication associated with cams and followers and friction and wear in a general context. Several chapters examine engine bearings, valve trains, (cams and followers) and piston assemblies. For each machine element a background introduction is followed by design interpretations and a consideration of future developments. The important topic of materials, solids and lubricants is focused upon in the concluding chapters.The work will be of interest to engineers and researchers in the automobile, automotive products, petroleum and associated industries.

This book deals with the new and now-expanding field of friction, wear, and other surface-related mechanical phenomena for polymers. Polymers have been used in various forms such as bulk, films, and composites in applications where their friction, wear resistance, and other surface-related properties have been effectively utilized. There are also many examples in which polymers have performed extremely well, such as in tyres, shoes, brakes, gears, bearings, small moving parts in electronics and MEMS, cosmetics/hair products, and artificial human joints. Around the world, much research is currently being undertaken to develop new polymers, in different forms, for further enhancing tribological performance and for finding novel applications. Keeping in view the importance of tribology of polymers for research and technology as well as the vast literature that is now available in research papers and review articles, this timely book brings together a wealth of research data for an understanding of the basic principles of the subject./a