NCT - Industrial Testing

Reliable testing to characterise component performance, optimise materials and confirm design choices.

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Testing at the National Centre of Tribology

Our NCT laboratory has been involved in tribological testing for many years. Our tests confirm material, surface treatment and lubricant selections for many industrial applications, from downhole drilling operations to nuclear reactors.

Industrial testing

Our unique, specialist team of engineers and scientists focusses on developing evidence-based understanding, providing solutions and preventing recurrence of problems.

We offer a wide range of services, including:

  • Macro Inspection: Detailed inspection of components using macro and micro digital cameras.
  • Metallographic Preparation: We prepare metallic, polymeric and ceramic materials for analysis.
  • Materials Selection: We select the most appropriate materials, manufacturing and heat treatment routes for your new or existing applications.
  • Metrology: We can fully characterise component dimensions using coordinate measurement (CMM), contacting and non-contacting profilometers and other measurement techniques.

Our testing capabilities:

Friction & wear testing:

  • We test materials and lubricants for their friction and wear properties under a variety of conditions. This information can be used to select the right materials and lubricants for your application, and to design components and systems that will minimize friction and wear.


Lubricant testing:

  • We test lubricants for their tribological performance (e.g. antiwear and extreme pressure tests). This information can be used to select the right lubricant for your application, and to monitor the condition of your lubricants over time.


Materials testing:

  • We test materials for their mechanical properties, such as hardness, strength, and fatigue resistance. This information can be used to select the right materials for your application, and to design components and systems that will withstand the operating conditions.


Bespoke rig design and build:

  • We design and build custom test rigs to achieve specific test needs, for example, to test a range of materials, lubricants and components under specific loading or thermal conditions. We use digital hydraulic actuation and control systems to ensure precise, repeatable real-world representative testing conditions producing accurate, reliable friction and wear/durability data.


Custom temperature application:

  • We can test under controlled thermal conditions, from cryogenic to elevated temperatures. This allows us to test a wide range of materials and lubricants under a variety of operating conditions.

Why choose NCT for your testing requirements?

Our approach

To gain a sound understanding of what our customers want to achieve is a crucial part of the challenge for us. We need to ensure that we are using or developing the right testing techniques that fit our customers’ requirements and that it will deliver something useful.

In a nutshell:

The NCT laboratories offer a wide range of tribological testing services, using state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. We can test materials and lubricants for a variety of industrial applications, and we can design and build custom test rigs to meet your specific needs. Our goal is to provide you with the data you need to make informed decisions about your products and processes.

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