The new advanced infrastructure is focused on studying the behavior of materials and components subjected to demanding friction, wear and lubrication conditions. This new capability will support industrial companies in the development of more efficient, durable and sustainable solutions for sectors such as automotive, energy, mining, capital goods and aerospace.
Wear is one of the main causes of efficiency loss and premature failure in mechanical systems. Understanding how materials interact under real service conditions is essential for developing components with longer service life, reducing maintenance costs, and optimizing resource and energy consumption.
To address these challenges, AZTERLAN has incorporated a state-of-the-art tribological testing infrastructure (MFT-5000 tribometer), strengthening and expanding its R&D capabilities in the development of wear-resistant materials, surface engineering, and component validation under real operating conditions.
As Dr. Gorka Alonso, head of this research line at AZTERLAN, explains: “Tribology goes far beyond measuring the wear of a material. Our goal is to understand the relationship between material composition, microstructure, manufacturing process and real service conditions in order to develop solutions that improve component performance and durability. These new capabilities allow us to reproduce extremely demanding operating scenarios and generate knowledge that can be directly applied by industry.”
The new capabilities will support research projects related to the development of wear-resistant alloys and materials, optimization of coatings and surface treatments, analysis of lubrication systems, and validation of components subjected to high loads, speeds, or temperatures. They will also facilitate the development of solutions for emerging applications such as electric mobility, where electrification introduces new interaction mechanisms between materials and surfaces.
The new infrastructure enables the reproduction of a wide range of testing conditions through modular configurations, including rotational and linear tests, real-component testing, high-temperature environmental chambers, lubrication systems, and three-dimensional characterization of worn surfaces through integrated optical profilometry. In addition, it incorporates specific capabilities for the study of braking systems and the evaluation of wear-generated particles emitted into the atmosphere through the integration of a particle sampling system (combining an Engine Exhaust Particle Sizer, EEPS, and an Optical Particle Sizer, OPS). This research area is of particular interest in view of the implementation of the EURO 7 regulation and is a field to which AZTERLAN dedicates significant efforts.
“One of the main strengths of this new infrastructure is the versatility it offers us,” says Alonso, “allowing us to adapt testing conditions to the specific needs of each technological development, from materials for mining or energy applications to braking systems for electric mobility. This enables us to support companies from the earliest design stages through to the experimental validation of new solutions.”
With this addition, AZTERLAN strengthens its capabilities in the development of advanced materials and the evaluation of their in-service performance, integrating metallurgical knowledge, surface engineering and advanced characterization within a single R&D strategy.
Due to its performance and level of preparedness, this infrastructure represents one of the most advanced tribology research capabilities available within the Basque Network of Science, Technology and Innovation (RVCTI), expanding the technological offering of the Basque ecosystem in a field of growing importance for industrial competitiveness and decarbonization, and positioning AZTERLAN and the Basque Country as leaders in highly specialized expertise.
The new infrastructure has been funded through the Basque Government’s AZPITEK programme (PZ-2025/000002) and is integrated with AZTERLAN’s capabilities in materials development, microstructural characterization, surface engineering, process simulation and advanced manufacturing, reinforcing the Centre’s role as a technological partner for the development of innovative products and processes.
