CHAPTER 1:

INTRODUCTION TO
TRIBOLOGY
BMCB 4073 TRIBOLOGI
SEMESTER 1 SESI 2014/2015
u-learn : 1444
By:
Dr. Nor Azmmi Bin Masripan

By the end of this chapter, you will be

able to:

Know the history of tribology

Identify the importance of tribology
Describe the tribological phenomena
Identify factors that influence tribological
phenomena

What is Tribology?
TRIBOLOGY IS THE OLOGY OR SCIENCE OF
TRIBEIN. THE WORD COMES FROM THE SAME
GREEK ROOT AS TRIBULATION. A FAITHFUL
TRANSLATION DEFINES TRIBOLOGY AS THE
STUDY OF RUBBING OR SLIDING. THE MODERN
AND BROADEST MEANING IS THE STUDY OF
FRICTION, LUBRICATION AND WEAR.
(Ludema, K.C., 1996, Friction, Wear, Lubrication: A Textbook in Tribology)

What is Tribology?

What is Tribology?

Why??

To create an awareness of the importance of

tribology in design and selection of machine
elements.

Basic concepts of tribology would be useful in

choosing and designing various tribological
machine elements like bearings, gears, cams
and constant velocity joints.

Applications

Applications

All of these components have two surfaces

which come into contact, support a load, and
move with respect to each other.

Sometimes it is desirable to have low

friction, to save energy, or high friction, as in
the case of brakes. Usually we don't want the
components to wear so they are lubricated.

What determines the choice of a

Surface Engineering Technology
(S.E.T)?

What determines the choice of a

S.E.T?

What determines the choice of a

S.E.T?

What determines the choice of a

S.E.T?

The Force of Friction

Usually we want low
friction (in a car engine
for example) so we do
not waste excessive
energy getting it
moving. But in same
case we need high
friction, in brakes for
example. Friction is also
important for car tires to
grip the road and
between shoes and the
ground for walking.

When Two Surfaces Are Pressed

Together

Surfaces may look smooth, but on a microscopic scale they are rough.
When two surfaces are pressed together, contact is made at the peaks
of the roughness or asperities. The real area of contact can be much
less than the apparent or nominal area. At the points of intimate
contact, adhesion, or even local welding, can take place. If we want to
slide one surface over the other then we have to apply a force to break
those junctions.

Keeping the Surfaces Apart Lubrication

STRIBECK
CURVE named
after Richard
Stribeck

When Things Wear Out

Stress and Strain at The Contact

The design of rolling bearings and gears is such that the
load is supported on a small area. This leads to high
stresses (about the highest stresses we find in any branch
of engineering) over small areas of the components. This
can cause high friction, wear, and contact fatigue. Contact
mechanics is therefore an important part of tribology.
The analysis of contact stress is
frequently difficult. Simple
component geometries can be
analyzed using hand
calculations. More complex
component shapes frequently
require analysis by numerical
methods.

Tribology Through The Centuries

Tribology Through The Centuries

Military engineers rose to prominence in the days of the Roman empire
by devising both war machinery and methods of fortification, using
tribological principles. War ships (c. 50 AD) recovered from Lake Nemi
near Rome, contain bronze balls and rollers used to support rotating
platforms.

Tribology Through The Centuries

Tribological experiments suggested by Leonardo da Vinci

FUTURE TRENDS

FUTURE TRENDS

FUTURE TRENDS

Global Energy Consumption

FUEL

K. Holmberg et al., Tribology International, 47 (2012) 221-234.

THANK YOU