Tribology matters
Edward P. Salek, CAE, Executive Director | TLT Headquarters Report October 2017
STLE’s new Emerging Trends Report is part of a larger strategy to communicate that message to a wider audience.
STLE’s Emerging Trends Report features statistical data from 1,000 lubrication professionals.
Percent of survey respondents who indicated tribology will have a long-term impact in these areas.
THE NEW EDITION OF STLE’S 2017 REPORT ON EMERGING ISSUES AND TRENDS IN TRIBOLOGY AND LUBRICATION ENGINEERING, released this month, offers tribology and lubricant professionals valuable insight into future technical challenges and commercial opportunities for the field during the next 10 years.
Based on input from nearly 1,000 technical experts from around the world, the Emerging Trends Report explores questions regarding:
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Pure-electric vehicles (PEVs). Will they be a significant factor in the transportation field by 2030?
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Fossil fuels. Should we expect decreasing use of this energy source and, if so, which alternative energy source might emerge as the replacement?
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Medical and healthcare tribology. Can we learn to mimic interfaces found in nature to support breakthroughs in applications like joint replacements?
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Internet of Things (IOT). Is the new era of connectivity going to revolutionize the maintenance and reliability aspect of transportation and manufacturing?
While these possible new breakthrough directions in technology are intriguing for many and inspiring for some, there’s an even more impactful message coming out of the research: Tribology matters! The Emerging Trends Report does an excellent job of demonstrating that almost every aspect of our lives is impacted by the scientific discipline of tribology and lubricant technology. There are numerous examples of the field offering solutions to critical technical problems in manufacturing, energy production and transportation.
When it comes to transportation, and the automobile in particular, the tribology and lubrication engineering industry has had a remarkable track record for the past 50 years. This is significant given the fact that there are now 260 million light-duty vehicles (cars and small trucks) in the U.S. alone.
Innovation has been spurred by a mix of factors, including a growing population, a demand for increased fuel efficiency and environmental concerns. This has resulted in a number of high-impact trends and technologies such as high-power density engines, smaller automotive system designs and the use of low-viscosity motor oils and longer-lasting lubricants.
An aging population and a growing demand for artificial joints have created increased demand for tribology-based solutions in health care. Survey respondents saw the greater usage of prosthetics (59%) and greater expectations for mobility (56%) as key long-term trends. These trends point to great opportunity in the area of bio-tribology as well, affecting everything from contact lenses to heart valves.
Survey respondents also were focused on the production of sustainable energy and the reduction of waste, which can have a positive downstream impact on key fundamental issues such as food production and clean, safe water. Tribology-enabled efficiency gains in manufacturing reduce the cost of goods sold and conserve energy. Lubrication scientists formulate products that produce less air (particle emissions) and water pollution.
STLE’s 2017 Emerging Trends Report builds on a multi-phase research effort to evaluate current trends and predict future developments impacting tribology and lubrication engineering that was first conducted in 2014. More than 500 paper and digital copies of the 2014 report have been distributed, and it has formed the basis for presentations to technical conferences around the world.
The Emerging Trends Report incorporates 15 interviews with industry experts to identify new areas to investigate or trends to further explore, followed by a literature review of recent industry publications, conference abstracts and other materials. A survey launched in April 2017 collected more than 900 respondents from professionals across the tribology field; data were shared with about 30 industry experts to provide context and narrative to the quantitative findings.
The Emerging Trends Report is part of STLE’s strategic plan focus on advocacy and communications. The three other foundational goals are to improve expertise of technical professionals, advance innovation in tribology and lubrication engineering and operate using association best practices.
The just-released report is free. Go to
www.stle.org to download.
You can reach Certified Association Executive Ed Salek at esalek@stle.org.