Perfecting Motion®
Perfecting Motion® is the official podcast series from STLE, featuring conversations with leading industry professionals about current issues and trends affecting the global tribology and lubricants community. Each episode offers expert insights into the science and practice of friction, wear, lubrication, and related fields. It is aimed at engineers, researchers, and others working with tribology and lubricants worldwide.
Episodes
Careers in Motion: Exploring the World of Tribology Jobs
Send us Fan MailTribology touches nearly every moving part of modern life, and the career paths within it are just as varied as the machines it protects. This episode traces that landscape from the ground up, starting in academia with mechanical engineering faculty who train the next generation of researchers, then moving into industry roles that begin with hands-on, end-user work in building and
From Lubrication to Uptime: Lifetime Solutions as a Key Lever in the Use Phase
Send us Fan MailRolling bearings rarely fail—only about 0.35% do—but when they do, lubrication is almost always the culprit. In this episode of Perfecting Motion, Bernhard Dreisser and Daniel Merk of Schaeffler explain why grease deserves to be treated as a fifth design element, not just a consumable. They unpack the concept of "Lifetime Solutions," tracing how First Fill decisions rippl
July 2026 - The Balancing Act: Lubricant Formulation, Tribometer Design, and the Gap Between Lab and Reality
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Perfecting Motion®, we sit down with a lubricant formulation and tribology expert whose work spans the full value chain — from base oil and additive chemistry to tribometer design, customer training, and future mobility applications.The conversation opens with what makes lubricant formulation genuinely difficult: not the chemistry in isolation, but the constant
June 2026 - From Steel Mills to Offshore Wind: Bearing Reliability, Failure Analysis, and the Tribology of Industrial-Scale Energy
Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Perfecting Motion®, Debottam Bose — a bearing and lubrication application engineer at Vestas with experience spanning steel plants, heavy industrial machinery, and offshore wind turbine drivetrains — shares what decades of failure investigation and field engineering teach you about reliability at scale.The conversation moves through the fundamentals of large bear
Professional Growth and Power of Human Connection: The Heart of Volunteering
Send us Fan MailAbstract:Guest: Kuldeep Mistry is Senior Research Scientist at Chevron Oronite and STLE Board Member. He is a tribologist and strategist dedicated to "perfecting motion" across machines and organizations alike. With nearly two decades of R&D experience—spanning Argonne National Lab, Timken, and the University of Leeds—they currently lead the revitalization of tribolo
Friction's Role in the Everyday World
Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Perfecting Motion, our host, Marc Ingram, dives into the "hidden science" of tribology with Jennifer Vail, author of Friction – A Biography, to uncover how this often-overlooked force shapes the modern world. The conversation journeys from the fundamental physics that allow us to walk and drive to the historical milestones where engineering hurdles spar
Micropitting in Gears
Send us Fan MailThis podcast episode dives deep into the persistent and often misunderstood issue of micropitting in gears, guided by expert insights from Ben Wainwright. The conversation begins by defining micropitting and examining how it manifests in real-world applications, asking whether it remains a practical concern in modern gear systems and what fundamental factors—such as lambda ratio, s
Tribology Measurement
Send us Fan MailThis month's podcast episode explores the precision-driven world of tribology through the lens of national laboratory measurement science, moving beyond basic product development to address the fundamental challenges of friction, wear, and lubrication. Our guest discusses the unique operational environment of a national lab and provides a deep dive into the technical rigors of
December 2025 - Tribological Automotive Research
Send us Fan MailThis month we talk about understanding and optimizing tribological performance is vital for improving fuel efficiency, extending component lifespan, and reducing emissions in modern vehicles. Dr. Nolan Chu from Auburn University and Dr. Arup Gangopadhyay from Ford Motor Company will share insights into the complex computational models being developed to predict and mitigate wear in
October 2025 - Fastenating Friction!
Send us Fan MailThis podcast episode explores the fascinating world of tribology as it applies to everyday fasteners. Tribology, the science of friction, wear, and lubrication, is the unsung hero behind the function of countless devices we use to hold things together or secure them. From the thousands of tiny hooks and loops that make up Velcro to the teeth and locking mechanism of a zip tie, and
The History of Tribology Part II - From Byzantine Ingenuity to Da Vinci's Genius
Send us Fan MailThe History of Tribology in History Part II - From Byzantine Ingenuity to Da Vinci's Genius Welcome back to the second installment of our series on the history of tribology. In this episode, we're delving into the fascinating period from the Byzantine Empire through the Renaissance. We'll explore how Byzantine engineers applied advanced knowledge of friction, lubrica
The History of Tribology - Part I
Send us Fan MailThis month we're diving into the often-overlooked history of friction, lubrication, and wear. From the practical ingenuity of ancient civilizations to the groundbreaking discoveries of the Industrial Revolution, we'll explore how humanity has continuously grappled with the challenges of rubbing things together. Join us as we uncover how the Egyptians moved massive stones
Friction Unveiled: A Tribological Deep Dive Part II
Send us Fan MailJoin us for the second session of our hit friction podcast, where we delve into the intricate world of friction at the surface, exploring suggested mechanisms like the foundational adhesion theory by Bowden and Tabor and its historical roots at the Cambridge Cavendish Laboratory, while also discovering how our hosts, Vern and Marc, began their journeys in tribology. This episode ta
Friction Unveiled: A Tribological Deep Dive Part I
Send us Fan MailThis is the first episode in a two-part series exploring the fundamental principles of friction, tailored for lubrication engineers and tribologists. In "Friction Unveiled," we delve into the essential question: What is friction and why is its understanding so critical in our field? We will differentiate between static and dynamic friction, illustrating their distinct beh
Titans of Tribology: Gary Wood, CLS from HF Sinclair
Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Perfecting Motion, we spotlight a true Titan of Tribology—Gary Wood, the northeast district sales manager at HF Sinclair and longtime CLS-certified member since 1986. Hosted by STLE President Kevin Delaney of Vanderbilt Chemicals, LLC, this conversation dives deep into Gary’s distinguished career, leadership within the CLS committee, and decades of contributions
Engineering Touch with Friction
Send us Fan MailThis month's episode focuses on using friction to help us. Yes, that's right, embracing the friction that tribologists try to combat. The focus is of tactile aids that solely rely on physical bumps, lines, and textures are limited in the amount and density of information they can convey due to "tactile clutter" within a small physical space. The lab has found
Tribology Spotlight: Emerging Research Poster Winners
Send us Fan MailThis month we feature two of our poster competition winners from the 2024 STLE Annual Meeting. With us we have Joseph Shore who presented on "Predicting Electric Vehicle Transmission Efficiency Using a Thermally Coupled Lubrication Tool", and Ujjawal Arya with his research on "A Novel Multiphase CFD Model for Investigating the Flow Dynamics of Aerated Bubbles in Bea
February 2025 - The Tribology of Tires
Send us Fan MailIn this month's episode I sit down with Anurag Warhadpande from Bridgestone Americas. This podcast explores the critical role of tribology in tire performance, highlighting how factors like traction, wear, and noise are influenced by the tire-road interaction. Anurag discusses the science behind tire friction, including the mu-slip curve and road texture effects, as well as
January 2025 - The Tribology of Footwear
Send us Fan MailIn this month’s episode we sit down with Melissa Mushrush of MOLYKOTE Specialty Lubricants and Kathy Helmetag of Henkel North American Operations. Together, they explore the fascinating role of tribology in footwear. From icy sidewalks to slick dance floors, we uncover how tread design, materials, and surface conditions influence friction between our shoes and the ground. Learn why
December 2024 - The Tribology of Climbing
Send us Fan MailIn this month's episode we sit down with Dr. Hannes Grillenberger, Product Manager at Schaeffler, as we talk about the tribology of climbing. Dr. Grillenberger, an experienced climber, reviews how he uses his understanding of tribology to help him choose equipment, techniques, and routes when climbing. Climbing, a physically and mentally demanding sport, involves ascending
November 2024 - The STLE Annual Meeting is an Unparalleled Opportunity to Connect, Learn, and Achieve
Send us Fan MailThis month we look back at our Annual Meeting from May of 2024 in Minneapolis. I took the time to interview some of our attendees on their attendance at the meeting and what about the meeting was important to them. Each May STLE offers their annual meeting to gather industry professionals to network, learn, and grow together for several days. This year we will convene in Atlant
October 2024 - Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Tribology Update
Send us Fan MailFor our October episode we are following up with instructors from the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning education course from our 2024 STLE Annual Meeting in Minneapolis. Returning from that course is Max Marian of Leibniz Universität Hannover, Nick Garabedian of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and Omar Zouina of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology moderates as we dis
September 2024 - STLE Student Members Speak Out
Send us Fan MailThis month’s episode is dedicated to highlighting the incredible experiences and benefits of being a student member of STLE. Join us as our host, STLE UK Student Chair, Nicole Rosik interviews STLE student members Andrew Velasquez of Southwest Research Institute, Parker LaMascus a doctoral candidate at the University of Pennsylvania, Alexander MacLaren of PCS Instruments, and Mani
August 2024 - Industrial Lubricants Development from a Sustainability Standpoint
Send us Fan MailThis month’s episode talks about increasingly integrating sustainability into core business strategies, setting clear targets for greenhouse gas reductions, and publicly reporting on their progress. Joining us we have Pang Lin Ong, a longtime member of the STLE CLS committee member, and current Business Growth Manager at Infineum. Pang looks at efforts to develop more sustainable p
July 2024: Tribology in Aerospace Technologies
Send us Fan MailThis month's episode talks about the often-overlooked world of friction, wear, and lubrication in aerospace. Discussing the importance of tribology in space travel, we have former NASA Senior Tribology Technologist, and current University of Akron Mechanical Engineering Professor, Dr. Christopher DellaCorte. Also on our panel, former Air Force Research Laboratory Nanoelectri
June 2024 - Engine Lubricant Testing
Send us Fan MailThis month’s episode focuses on engine lubricant testing methods. We consider what drives engine test methods, types of tests, why we do them, and why we worry about them. The discussion also goes into the differences between diesel and gasoline engines along with the special test fuel used for them. Hosting this podcast is STLE board member Bill Anderson from Afton Chemical. H
May 2024 - Titans of Tribology with STLE Member Doug Sackett
Send us Fan MailJoin us for our first episode in a series we call Titans of Tribology. For this installment, and fresh off receiving the Raymond Thibault Award at the 2024 STLE Annual Meeting, we interview STLE member Doug Sackett. Doug discusses his unlikely journey into the field of tribology, some mentors and their advice from along the way, and how STLE helped shape and guide him to succes
April 2024: STLE Membership Benefits
Send us Fan MailSTLE Membership Director Julie O'Rouke sits down with STLE president Hong Liang, incoming STLE president Jack McKenna, and STLE Treasurer Steffon Bots to talk about the benefits that come with an STLE membership. The group discusses what it means to be an STLE member, how their membership has advanced their careers, and reflects on the mentors they have met along the way tha
March 2024 - Women in Tribology
Send us Fan MailIn Episode 13 of this podcast series we continue STLE's celebration of women in tribology. Our Executive Director, Rebecca Lintow, interviews STLE members Mandi McElwain, Senior Account Manager at Univar Solutions, and Fran Lockwood, President of Solar Energy Solutions, on their contributions and challenges as women in the field of tribology. For more information on Women in
Rheology Testing
Send us Fan MailIn Episode 12 of this podcast series, we explored tribology testing and how it can be used to improve sustainability. In this Episode, we explore the use of rheology testing for the same purpose. Rheology is the study of the deformation and flow of solids and liquids. Rheology has applications in materials science, human biology, pharmaceutics, engineering, food science and geophy
The Tribology of Eating Chocolate
Send us Fan MailThe role of tribology in facilitating the move to sustainability does not just involve reducing friction and wear in industrial machinery and automobiles, but also is critical in gaining a better understanding of what we eat and what steps can be taken to improve the availability of healthier foods. This episode focuses on the topic of chocolate and research that is ongoing to bett
Tribology Testing
Send us Fan MailTribology, the scientific study of lubrication, friction and wear, is as old as the world itself and can be found in almost every application. The word itself was not entered into the English dictionary until 1966 at the time of The Jost Report. The use of tribology to solve friction and wear problems through the life cycle of a product from manufacture, use and recycling can be us
Hydrogen as a Fuel for an Internal Combustion Engine
Send us Fan MailThe search for finding a way to commercialize vehicles that generate no emissions has led the automotive industry to work with batteries and fuel cells. But another approach is to take the basic internal combustion engine (ICE) and substitute hydrogen as a fuel for both gasoline and diesel fuel. This podcast examines the potential for hydrogen internal combustion engines. In this e
Nuclear Power – A Clean Energy Option
Send us Fan MailNuclear power is emerging as a viable energy generation option that does not release greenhouse gases in contrast to fossil fuel energy sources. While the nuclear power industry has come under scrutiny due to past issues with specific plants, overall, the industry practices excellent safety protocols and nuclear power plants operate in a very safe manner. Currently, nuclear power c
Green Chemistry
Send us Fan MailAs the move towards sustainability continues, attention needs to be paid to sourcing raw materials that can be designated as sustainable. Since all raw materials used in formulating lubricants are chemical substances, this leads to a discussion about green chemistry and how it can be used as a way to produce sustainable lubricants. This episode features a conversation with Dr. Davi
Sustainable Use of Plastic Waste in the Production of Fuels and Lubricants
Send us Fan MailGlobal plastic waste generation has doubled over the past 20 years with two-thirds of the waste having been produced over the past 5 years. Microplastics, smaller than 5 millimeters (0.2 inch), is a growing concern in our air and water. Plastics now account for 3.4% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling has been ongoing for some time but only 9% of all plastics used g
Improving the Sustainability for the Internal Combustion Engine
Send us Fan MailThe automotive industry is moving away from automobiles powered by internal combustion engines to battery electric vehicles to reduce emissions and improve sustainability. But internal combustion engine-powered vehicles will not be going away any time soon. Steps being taken currently to improve the sustainability of the internal combustion engine will be discussed in this podcast.
The Role of Nanotribology in the Quest for Sustainability
Send us Fan MailNanotribology is a growing field within tribology that studies the interactions of materials at the nanoscale which is an extremely small domain. In an effort to reduce friction and wear, improve efficiency and reduce emissions, a better understanding of how friction and wear can be minimized at the nanoscale is very important. This podcast discusses nanotribology with two experts
How 3D Printing Moves Us Towards Sustainability
Send us Fan Mail3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is growing in the manufacturing sector because it provides an approach for making complex parts without generating waste. This technique is working well for plastic resins, but 3D printing metal alloys has been more challenging. In this episode, we speak with two experts conducting research on the 3D printing of metal alloys to gai
Potential Benefits of Tribochemistry
Send us Fan MailOne approach for perfecting motion through the reduction of friction and wear is to examine the potential benefits of tribochemistry. This growing field gives researchers the opportunity to design a machinery system that takes advantage of the interaction of a specific lubricant with a particular metal surface under its operating conditions. The resulting products of the interactio
Introduction
Send us Fan MailAs the world faces challenges due to the threat of global warming, regulatory pressure has been applied to find ways to reduce the generation of carbon dioxide and other emissions. The transportation sector is under increasing scrutiny because it contributes the highest level of emissions in the U.S. at 28.2% according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The automoti
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