Tribologically-based Machine Design
An introduction to tribology.What is tribology?
Tribology is the science and technology of surfaces and interfaces in contact. It is a field that holds the key to machine reliability, durability and performance.
75% of machine failures and service-life problems originate at contacting interfaces, and the performance limits of advanced machines often depend strongly on friction and wear at these interfaces. Energy and cost losses due to friction and wear reach 3% of GDP. Designing higher-performance machines that conserve resources and energy while offering excellent reliability and durability therefore requires the design of surfaces and contacting interfaces, in addition to conventional design of shapes and materials. Tribology provides the science and technology for this approach.
Research objectives
We study friction and wear at contacting interfaces and develop technologies to control them. Building on this science and technology, we aim to establish methods for machine design and to create high-performance machines.
Current research themes of the Adachi & Kuriyagawa/Murashima Laboratory
Previous research themes
Research and development of friction-drive systems and design methods
- Friction drive using ultrasonic motors for ultraprecision positioning
- Transport control in flexible-media handling systems
- Friction drive using ceramics and PEEK
Friction mechanisms and the development of low-friction systems and design methods
- Tribocoating lubrication for vacuum equipment: friction-assisted solid-lubricant film formation
- Water-lubrication systems using ceramics
- Adsorbed-gas lubrication using hard coatings and ceramics
Wear mechanisms and the development of wear-resistant tribosystems and design methods
- Microscopic wear mechanisms and systematic wear theory based on wear maps
- Wear-resistant tribosystems using ceramics and hard coatings
- Mirror finishing of alumina ceramics by tribosintering
Evaluation and analysis of friction, wear and surface properties
- Evaluation of liquid-crystal alignment on polymer films
- Standardization of wear-resistance testing for advanced coating materials
- Evaluation of transport performance in flexible-media handling systems
- Visualization of microslip
Surface creation and design methods for controlling friction and wear
- Surface texturing to improve seizure resistance in water-lubricated ceramics