Standardization in Tribology

This paper presents an analysis of standards applied in tribology, especially concerning materials, test methods and failures of machine components, related to exploitation under load and motion. By the help of their own research and based on open literature, the authors justify the use of standards in tribology, but also the researchers’ initiative to develop new and more particular test methods and materials with application in tribology, starting from the already standardized ones. The market asks for products that could be rapidly and efficiently assessed by standards, but laboratory work ask for standards in order to compare old and new, original solutions. Thus, using standards does not block the researchers’ work, but helps to point out the new solution and even to develop new materials and test methods that accelerates the introduction of these new solution in actual applications. There are given examples of applying standards in tribology laboratories and how they are used or extend in order to point out a beneficial aspect of the tribological behavior.