The Tampere Wear Center (TWC) is located at Tampere University of Technology in Finland. It focuses on both scientific and practical aspects of wear and tribology through research, testing services, collaboration with industry and universities, and international networking. The TWC has over 160 personnel including 11 professors and offers expertise in all material groups. It possesses extensive research equipment for studying wear and has collaborated with numerous international partners. Example projects studied include optimization of novel steels, surface fatigue of gears, thermal spray coatings, and polymer composites for wear resistance.

1. Tampere Wear Center
Kati Valtonen
Project Manager

2. Tampere University of
Technology (TUT)
– At the Leading Edge
•
•
•
•
Established in 1965
Started operating in the form of a foundation in 2010
10,400 students (2012)
Collaborates with 200 universities around the world
2

3. Department of Materials Science
Internationally high-level know-how on all materials based on
strong interdisciplinary basic research

4. Department of Materials Science
•
The only higher education unit in Finland covering all material
groups
– Personnel about 160, 11 professors, Head of the Department Prof. Erkki
Levänen
– Over 900 M.Sc. (Eng.), 80 Lic.Tech., and 60 Ph.D. thesis and more than
6000 publications since 1969
– International Degree Programme in Materials Science
• High-level basic research of the structure, properties,
processing, and use of materials
– Researcher with knowledge of and expertise in all groups of materials
– Versatile and up-to-date research and testing equipment
•
Strong collaboration with industry and academic units
– Research funding comes mainly from industry, SHOKs, Tekes, Academy
of Finland, and the EU
•
Networks internationally and participates in international research
projects
– Scientific collaboration and research exchange

5. Tampere Wear Center - TWC

6. Tampere Wear Center - TWC
• Concentrates on both scientific and practical
aspects of wear and tribology
• Strengthens research in the field of wear and
tribology of materials
• Networks internationally
• Develops wear-related problem-solving
services for industry
• Versatile and up-to-date research and testing
equipment
• Researchers with knowledge and expertise
on all groups of materials
• Numerical contact modeling and
experimental verification of the models
• Special expertise areas heavy abrasion,
impact wear, fretting and tribology of machine
elements, such as gears, bearings, brakes,
seals, and frictional joints

7. TWC – Wear Research
•
•
•
TWC has excellent infrastructure for wear research, as well as highly
qualified scientists and research engineers for the needs of both longterm scientific research and product development for the industry
Wear research is conducted in close collaboration with several
internationally recognized partners, such as the National Research
Council of Canada (NRC), the Austrian Excellence Center for Tribology
(AC2T), VITO, TEKNIKER, the University of Sheffield, the University of
Southampton, the University of Manchester, Luleå University of
Technology, and Tallinn University of Technology. Of these, NRC, AC2T
and the University of Southampton have also been recently targets of
research exchange.
One example of TWC’s international activities is the recently founded
Nordic Hard Rock Tribology Network, RockTrib, embracing several key
research institutes in the field of hard rock tribology in Nordic countries,
including Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU),
SINTEF, Luleå University of Technology, Uppsala University, Dalarna
University, and VTT.

8. Wear Forum
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
connects material specialists with wear experts
offers both national and international collaboration
networks
co-operation link between companies and TWC
annual International Wear Seminar
general assembly at least twice a year
thematic meetings and training for the member
companies
coordinator works as a liaison with the companies
easy way to offer preliminary or R&D studies for
thesis works
Wear Forum internet database

9. Wear Forum Member
Companies
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Alfamat Oy
Atlas Copco Rotex Oy
Dalian Nurmi Hydraulics Co Ltd
Hilamet Oy
Kuusakoski Oy
KWH Mirka Oy
Megatrex Oy
Metso Minerals Oy
•
•
•
•
•
•
Miilux Oy
Outotec (Finland) Oy
Rautaruukki Oyj
Sandvik Mining and Construction Oy
Uddeholm Oy
Wärtsilä Finland Oy

10. Research equipment
• Wear equipment: Pin-on-disk/Ball-on-disk,
Crushing pin-on-disk, Uniaxial crusher, Dual
pivoted jaw crusher, Impeller-tumbler, Erosion
tester, High-speed slurry-pot type erosion
tester, Cavitation erosion tester, High velocity
particle impactor, Ball-on-block, Hammer mill,
High-speed sliding test rig, Single disc refiner,
Pin-on-plate, Biomaterial crusher, Block-onring, Rubber wheel abrasion testers, etc.
• Tribology and testing of machine elements
• Electron microscopes (UHR FEG-SEM, TEM)
• Hopkinson Split Bar
• Digital image correlation system
• Mechanical testing
• Hardness testing
• Thermal spraying
• Other equipment

11. TWC projects 1/2
•
FIMECC BSA: Design beyond present codes
– Optimization, prediction and design guidelines for improved wear life of
novel steels and metallic multimaterials
– Surface fatigue and extreme load carrying capacity of gears
•
FIMECC HYBRIDS: Multifunctional thick coatings and composites
– Thermal spray coatings by high kinetic process
– Environmental barrier coatings for high temperature corrosion and wear in
power generation
•
FIMECC HYBRIDS: Polymer
multifunctional sliding materials
– Dynamic loaded polymer-metal hybrid
structures for wear resistant
applications
– Sliding bearing performance in full and
mixed lubrication conditions
•
FIMECC BSA & HYBRIDS:
Fundamentals and modelling

12. TWC projects 2/2
•
FIMECC DEMAPP: Wear resistant materials and solutions
– Characterization and development of the microstructure, properties and
performance of wear resistant materials for selected environments
– Modeling and simulation of wear processes
– Novel coating processes for wear protection
– Friction and wear of polymers
•
FIMECC DEMAPP: Friction and energy
– High friction low wear contacts
– Low friction in process environment
•
FIMECC LIGHT: Low density materials
– Slurry-erosion testing of GFRP laminates
– Dynamically loaded wear resistant steelpolymer hybrids
•
Research services for industry and other
units

13. 28th International Conference on
Surface Modification Technologies
16.-18.6.2014 Tampere
SETEC 14
SAMPE Europe Technical
Conference & Table Top
Exhibition
10.-11.9.2014 Tampere Hall,
Tampere
Scientific conference for Smart and functional
textiles, Well-Being, Thermal comfort in
clothing, Design, Thermal Manikins and
Modelling
7.-9.9.2014 Tampere Hall, Tampere
Koneenrakennus ja lujat teräkset
ASM Finland ry:n kevätseminaari
2.4.2014 Taitotalo, Helsinki
www.tut.fi/mol

14. TAMPERE WEAR CENTER