STLE Technical Committees

STLE’s Technical Committees are specialized groups dedicated to advancing the science and practice of tribology and lubrication engineering. Each committee specializes in a specific area of interest such as biotribology, environmentally friendly fluids, grease, metalworking, and more. Their activities include fostering research, publishing papers in STLE’s journals and publications, organizing discussions, and supporting the development of content and meeting programming for STLE technical conferences. Members of these committees include experts from academia, industry, and government.

STLE membership allows you to join any one of over 20 technical committees that match your interests.

Interested in volunteering on a technical committee? Please complete the STLE Volunteer Application Form today.

Aerospace Tribology Technical Committee

The Aerospace Tribology Technical Committee showcases tribological advancements related to both astronautical and aeronautical applications. These applications function under conditions very different from those on earth, requiring innovative solutions to tribological challenges. As human exploration extends from low earth orbit to the lunar surface to the depths of space, tribology research tailored to aerospace applications will become increasingly important.

Areas of interest include tribological materials for extreme aerospace environments, bearing design for space mechanisms, liquid lubricants, greases, and additives for aerospace lubrication, dry film or solid lubricants and coatings, and terrestrial tribological testing in mimicked aerospace conditions.

Aerospace Tribology Technical Committee

Name	Company	Title
CURRY, JOHN	Sandia National Laboratories	Chair

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning Technical Committee

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning Technical Committee seeks to examine the profound influence of artificial intelligence and data science on the discipline of tribology. Focus areas include characterization employing machine learning, predictive maintenance utilizing AI, data-driven engineering of tribological systems, AI-assisted material design, and the application of big data analytics. We are also particularly interested in research that leverages AI for modeling, simulation, and automation of experimental processes.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning Technical Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Biotribology Technical Committee

The Biotribology Technical Committee aims to foster activities within the technical domain of biotribology. Its technical scope encompasses various areas, including natural joints and ligaments, artificial tissue replacements and prostheses and implants, tribology of metals, ceramics, soft matter, polymers, and composites for biological applications, biomimetics, drug delivery, particularly oral dispersive medicines and injections involving tissue-needle interaction, ocular and skin tribology, haptics and personal care, oral processing and dental tribology, sports tribology—which includes sports surfaces, equipment grip, snow and ice sports—low-friction design, biolubricants, and tribology of natural phenomena such as earthquakes, avalanches, and landslides.

Biotribology Technical Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Condition Monitoring/Predictive Maintenance Technical Committee

The Condition Monitoring/Predictive Maintenance Technical Committee focuses on technologies and methodologies that monitor the health of lubricated systems and predict maintenance needs. Key topics include fluid degradation, wear analysis, sensor applications, and data analytics. The committee fosters research, organizes technical sessions, and promotes collaboration to enhance reliability, reduce costs, and support sustainable practices in the field of tribology and lubrication engineering.

Condition Monitoring/Predictive Maintenance Tech Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Contact Mechanics Technical Committee

The Contact Mechanics Technical Committee focuses on the study of interactions at contact interfaces, including stress distribution, deformation, and wear. The committee explores both theoretical and practical aspects, such as modeling, experimental techniques, and applications in tribology.

Contact Mechanics Technical Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Electric Vehicles/Engine and Drivetrain Technical Committee

The Electric Vehicles & Engine and Drivetrain Technical Committee focuses on advancing tribological solutions for electric vehicles (EVs) and traditional engine and drivetrain systems. The committee explores areas such as lubricant formulation, EV hardware, thermal management, wear reduction, and efficiency improvement. By fostering research, organizing technical sessions, and encouraging collaboration, the committee aims to support innovation and sustainability in e-mobility technologies and lubrication.

Electric Vehicles/Engine and Drivetrain Technical Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Environmentally Friendly Fluids/Synthetic Lubrication Technical Committee

The Environmentally Friendly Fluids Technical Committee focuses on activities in the multidisciplinary field of environmentally friendly fluids. Its areas of interest include, but are not limited to: environmentally friendly base oils (new oils from renewable resources, modified base oils for bio-based lubricants, biodegradable synthetic fluids), compatibility of renewable fuels with lubricants, bio-based and high-performance additive development, emerging applications of EFF in MWF, industrial and automotive lubricants, bio-based lubricants evaluation and analytical results, health, safety and environmental opportunities (biodegradability, toxicity, and performance.)

Environmentally Friendly Fluids/Synthetic Lubrication Technical Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Fluid Film Bearings/Seals Technical Committee

The Fluid Film Bearings & Seals Technical Committee focuses on activities relevant to the bearings and seals industries. Both groups are very focused on numerical modeling and simulation; transient, steady-state, and dynamic performance; enhanced surface finish, material, geometry and micro-topography; failure analysis; condition monitoring; and low friction technology. New research directions include the effect of different lubricants and AI.

Fluid Film Bearings/Seals Technical Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Gears and Gear Lubrication Technical Committee

The Gears and Gear Lubrication Technical Committee focuses on activities within the gears industry. Areas of interest include emerging gear applications and challenges, advanced powertrain and gear systems design, gear lubrication and materials (metals, ceramics, composites, etc.), gear pitting, micro-pitting, and scuffing, gear contact simulation, gear testing methods, failure prediction and diagnostics.

Gears and Gear Lubrication Technical Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Grease Technical Committee

The Grease Technical Committee aims to support activities within the grease industry. The technical scope covers areas related to grease applications, testing, and research. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to grease performance, grease manufacturing, modeling of grease, grease degradation, lubrication mechanisms, condition monitoring, and grease sustainability.

Grease Technical Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Lubrication Fundamentals Technical Committee

The Lubrication Fundamentals Technical Committee is committed to the exploration and advancement of knowledge in the field of lubrication fundamentals. This includes a range of topics derived from experimental, theoretical, and/or case studies related to tribology and lubrication.

Lubrication Fundamentals Technical Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Materials Tribology Technical Committee

The Materials Tribology Technical Committee highlights advancements in materials tribology, focusing on fundamental materials aspects of tribological systems and covering topics on both traditional and emerging materials and techniques.

Materials Tribology Technical Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Metalworking Technical Committee

The Metalworking Fluid Technical Committee is dedicated to promoting activities within the metalworking fluids industry. We recognize the value of your expertise in metalworking fluids and encourage you to share this knowledge with the STLE community. We are open to engaging with both traditional and innovative topics.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: application of metalworking fluid relating to metal type, type of machining; mechanism of fluid delivery; tankside addition methods; challenges and opportunities in metalworking fluid such as electric vehicles, additive manufacturing, minimum quantity lubrication, plastic machining, collaborative robots, and artificial intelligence; additives for metalworking fluids including base fluids, surfactants, corrosion inhibitors, biological control, extreme pressure additives, foam control, and coupling agents; case studies on metalworking fluid management; and topics regarding the sustainability of metalworking fluids.

Metalworking Technical Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Nanotribology Technical Committee

The Nanotribology Technical Committee explores aspects of friction, wear, and adhesion between materials at atomic and nanometer length scales, using direct and semi-direct experimental methods or computational techniques. Specific topics include, but are not limited to nanotribology fundamentals (e.g., superlubricity, nanotribology in 2D materials, nanoscale surface metrology and contact mechanics), applied nanotribology (e.g., nanotribology of novel lubricants, for electrified systems, tip-based manufacturing, nanolithography, scale dependence and issues in bridging nano and macroscale tribology), methods in nanotribology (e.g., in-situ instrumentation and measurement techniques, advances in conventional experimental techniques, machine learning methods for understanding friction, wear, and lubrication.)

Nanotribology Technical Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Nonferrous Metals Council

The purpose of the Nonferrous Metals Council is to promote activities within all technical areas related to tribology and lubrication of nonferrous metals. Topics of interest include tribology of nonferrous metals processing (hot/cold rolling, forming, machining, cleaning), lubricant formulation and chemistry for nonferrous metals processing, recent advances in bio-based lubrication for nonferrous and related applications, lubricant condition monitoring for nonferrous metal processing, analytical methodologies related to nonferrous materials, lubricant processing for nonferrous metals: filtration, recycling, waste treatment, the end-user perspective: tribological challenges applied to nonferrous materials, advanced nonferrous materials with enhanced tribological properties, regulations and policies (Federal, State, Non‐government) and industry trends.

Nonferrous Metals Council

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Rolling Element Bearings Technical Committee

The Rolling Element Bearing Technical Committee concentrates on activities pertinent to the rolling element bearings industry. While all facets of rolling element bearing technology are considered, particular emphasis is placed on current challenges in practical bearing applications and innovative technologies addressing these issues. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to modeling and design analysis, reliability analysis and life prediction, noise and vibration concerns in bearings, the impact of lubrication on bearing performance, low torque and/or large size bearings, the effect of contamination and bearing cleanliness, as well as case studies of challenging bearing applications and their solutions.

Rolling Element Bearings Technical Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Student & Early Career Poster Committee

Each year, STLE invites students and early career professionals from various tribology research areas to participate in a special session during the STLE Annual Meeting. This session aims to showcase the next generation of tribologists and their groundbreaking research endeavors. Posters submitted for this session must address an aspect of tribology research that can be directly translated into friction, wear, and lubrication. The posters are evaluated by a conference committee, and the best posters are awarded.

Student & Early Career Poster Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Surface Engineering Technical Committee

The Surface Engineering Technical Committee focuses on advancing the science and application of surface engineering techniques. This includes areas such as coatings, surface texturing, and biomimetic surfaces. The committee fosters innovation by encouraging research, organizing technical sessions, and promoting knowledge sharing within the tribology and lubrication engineering community.

Surface Engineering Technical Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Sustainable Power Generation Technical Committee

The Sustainable Power Generation Technical Committee focuses on advancing tribological solutions for renewable energy systems, sustainable power generation technologies, and hydraulic systems. Key topics include decarbonization, hydrogen fuels, performance and reliability improvements, condition monitoring, and the role of hydraulics in energy applications. The committee fosters research, organizes technical sessions, and promotes collaboration to support innovation and sustainability in the energy sector.

Sustainable Power Generation Technical Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Sustainability Technical Committee

The Sustainability Technical Committee recommends policies and programs to help educate members of the tribology and lubricants community and the public about how tribology research and lubricants will contribute to a more sustainable future. The committee aims to establish and promote the connection between tribology and sustainability, focusing on areas such as energy, water, and air quality. It also seeks to promote the efficient use of both renewable and non-renewable resources and develop technological solutions to support and accelerate the transition from non-renewable to renewable resources.

Sustainability Technical Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Tribochemistry Technical Committee

The Tribochemistry Technical Committee focuses on the study of chemical reactions that occur at sliding interfaces due to mechanical stresses, such as friction or shear. This includes exploring molecular mechanisms, tribofilm formation, and the role of interfacial chemistry in adhesion, friction, and wear. The committee promotes innovation by encouraging research, organizing technical sessions, and fostering collaboration to advance understanding and applications in tribochemistry within the tribology and lubrication engineering field.

Tribochemistry Technical Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Tribotesting Technical Committee

The Tribotesting Technical Committee presents the latest developments in tribotesting, encompassing a wide range of topics. These include novel tribotest methods and techniques, tribotest field representation, tribotesting applications and case studies, boundary, mixed, and EHD lubrication, data sampling and sensing techniques, triboemission, tribological modeling, and tribotesting equipment and materials.

Tribotesting Technical Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.

Wear Technical Committee

The Wear Technical Committee highlights advancements in tribology related to wear, covering topics such as wear mechanisms, friction, lubricated wear, extreme environment wear, fretting wear, erosion, tribocorrosion, computational study on wear, materials comparison, wear testing, monitoring, quantitative methods, failure prediction, and diagnostics.

Wear Technical Committee

Name	Company	Title
There are no records.