SKF and Imperial College London Combining Forces to Overcome Friction

07 Dec,2010                         SHANDONG OBETTER BEARING CO., LTD

SKF, the leading knowledge engineering company, and Imperial College London, ranked among the top research universities in the world, have combined their efforts opening the "SKF University Technology Centre in Advanced Modelling and Measurements in Tribology".

Tribology is the science of interacting surfaces; a subject that has fascinated scientists for centuries, yet a discipline very much at the heart of all modern technology and where SKF is at the forefront with its high performance bearings and advanced lubrication solutions. Understanding tribology has enormous implications in the life and the efficient running of any machinery, wherever friction may play a part.

The new University Technology Centre will focus on tribology modelling and advanced testing. The important research carried out at the Centre will enable SKF to provide future solutions to prolong the life of bearings in a wide variety of applications and operating environments, working in close co-operation with the company's own research centre in The Netherlands. In addition to day to day operations of the new centre, SKF will also support a number of PhD and post-doctoral researchers, gathering experts from around the globe.

Research on tribology is also part of SKF's commitment to environmental responsibility, which is a major driver of the company's business strategy.

Tom Johnstone, President and CEO of SKF, inaugurated the Technology Centre on Thursday 2 December together with Sir Keith O'Nions, Rector of Imperial College London. Dr Alan Begg SKF SVP, Group Technology Development & Quality, provided an overview of the R&D in SKF, and Prof. Hugh Spikes, a distinguished scientist and leading expert on tribology, gave an overview of the facilities and the strategy at the heart of the Centre's operations. The event concluded with a demonstration of some of the facilities available in the Technology Centre and the Tribology Group at Imperial College London.

Tom Johnstone, President and CEO of SKF, commented: "We are very pleased to establish this University Technology Centre with Imperial College, London. The projects they will undertake build on the foundation of over 30 years of close cooperation between us. The combination of the knowledge and skills of our two organisations creates a world beating partnership in the field of tribology".
( SKF GROUP)