TABLE OF CONTENTS The term Tribology owes its existence to the 1966 Jost Report in which the term was referenced for the first time and defined as:
Tribology: The science and technology of interacting surfaces in relative motion, and of the practices related thereto
The term tribology relates directly to the combination of all sciences and technologies associated with the three areas of friction, lubrication and wear, and is specifically concerned with the following elements:
The design and manufacture of any surface materials where two or more surfaces interact.
The correct combination of materials where solid materials interact.
The interactions of wear surfaces with lubricants.
The reduction of friction and wear.
Tribology is a generic technology in that it yields national benefit; these benefits are great, but are diffused over a large number of recipients. Chapter 1 outlined substantial economic benefits that individual companies can attain through understanding tribology, and employing Good Lubrication Practices (GLP).
When viewed from a criticality standpoint, tribology affects industry in the following four areas:
Tribology is critical to the reliability of mechanical and certain electrical products.
Tribology is critical to the efficiency of mechanical and certain electrical products.
Tribology directly affects the maintainability of a product.,
Tribology affects the corporation financially.
Understanding Good Lubrication Practice begins with understanding the reason for lubrication to exist at all.
LUBRICATION EXISTS BECAUSE OF A FORCE CALLED FRICTION
Friction: The force which opposes the movement of one...
