* Subject of a BTC / Oak Ridge National Lab joint paper at Wear of Materials '23. 

In Tribology and Lubrication Technology magazine, Bob Gresham, STLE's Director of Professional Development, wrote:


"It [this book] is appropriate for literally everyone in our field from senior undergraduates, graduate students, researchers and practitioners through to end-users responsible for plant operations... This book belongs on your bookshelf and in STLE's still developing Body of Knowledge."

Micro-pitting of bearing steel due to rolling contact fatigue. (Tribosystem Analysis, Chapter 3)

What is a tribosystem? 

Materials tribology and related subjects.

A tribosystem is a mechanical device or a location within such a device where friction, lubrication, and/or wear are critical to its functions.  A sliding bearing, a lubricated gearbox, a brake disc with its pad, and a human knee joint are examples of tribosystems.  A wear testing machine is also a tribosystem. The first step in solving friction and durability problems is to define the tribosystem's key wear modes, and the problem history. That critical step is the purpose of my book on tribosystem analysis (TSA). It contains:

  • Direct and indirect methods to identify wear problems
  • Quantifying wear and problem definition
  • Terminology and definitions
  • The Tribosystem Analysis (TSA) form and instructions on how to use 
  • Characterization of wear-causing particles*