Heavy machinery
Automotive and transportation
Railroad
The Center for Surface Engineering and Tribology (CSET) at Northwestern University supports students in researching the notion of a surface in tribology. Students research materials that are studied from a topographical, structural, mechanical, tribochemical, and energetic perspective. Faculty and students collaborate and use principal techniques to characterize and analyze the basic phenomena of surfaces and interfaces in relative motion.
Surface failure resulting from rubbing is a critical problem that inhibits the development of key components in advanced engines, turbines, transmissions, manufacturing equipment, energy conversion systems, and biomedical systems. In order to develop advanced components for these applications, it is necessary to understand and control friction, adhesion, wear, and lubrication processes at the interfaces of contact and relative motion.
The mission of the Center for Surface Engineering and Tribology is to advance new understanding and new methods to provide new tools for developing superior products and processes in the following industries:
Faculty and students collaborate and use principal techniques to characterize and analyze the basic phenomena of surfaces and interfaces in relative motion.
Research conducted at CSET encompasses areas such as fundamental theories of friction,adhesion, wear, contact, and lubrication, lubricant and tribochemistry development, contact fatigue testing and modeling, model based surface and texture design, and more.
Our affiliated facilities allow our students to use advanced equipment and get experience with many resources.