Steinbeis Transfer Center Tribology in Application and Practice

• Surface analysis
• Material testing and analysis
• Layer analysis
• Damage analysis
• Tribology
• Seminars

The Steinbeis Transfer Center at the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University in Karlsruhe specializes in the analysis and assessment of surfaces and materials. Drawing on an extensive array of laboratory equipment, the center conducts a wide range of analyses as a service provider to industrial enterprises and scientific institutions. This also includes tribological analysis of the frictional properties and wear behavior of technical systems. Our portfolio of services also extends to analyzing component damage with the aim of pinpointing the causes of component failure.

As a laboratory based at a university, we offer a fundamental understanding of theoretical principles in combination with the practical competences of a business enterprise.

Surface analysis

• Light microscopy
• Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
• Atomic force microscopy (AFM)
• Surface measurements in 2D and 3D
• Surface tension
• Surface conductivity
• Friction coefficient measurement
• Gloss and color measurement

Material testing and analysis

• Density measurement
• Hardness testing (macro, micro, small load)
• Nanoindentation
• Metallographic structure examination
• Material analysis (EDX, XRF spectroscopy)
• Wear testing
• Tensile/compression testing

Layer analysis

• Layer hardness testing
• Coating thickness measurement
• Adhesion testing
• Yield strength testing

Tribology

• Friction coefficient measurement
• Friction coefficient testing of screw joints
• Wear testing
• Damage analysis
• Tribological consulting

Seminars

• Tribology
• Roughness and roughness measurement

Steinbeis Transfer Magazine

• Measuring root cause for bearing wear (Transfer 3/2015)
  Steinbeis team develops measurement technique for the tribological characterization of reaction layers