History of Tribology (2nd ed.)

Citation

Wilson, B. (1998), "History of Tribology (2nd ed.)", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 50 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/ilt.1998.01850fae.001

History of Tribology (2nd ed.)

History of Tribology (2nd ed.)

D. DowsonProfessional Engineering PublishingLondon1998768 pp., 245mm × 189 mm, hardcoverISBN 1 86058 070 X£98.00, delivery free within the UK

Twenty years after the first edition was published by the Longman Group a second edition of this masterly treatise on the history of tribology, the science and technology of interacting surfaces in relative motion, will be widely welcomed. Emeritus Professor Dowson, in 1969 the first Professor of Tribology and a major contributor to the science of tribology in his time, has added a new chapter assessing some of the achievements of tribology over the past 20 years. This update is limited mainly to the author's own areas of interest and represents his "personal appraisal of the field". The author has included ten new biographical sketches in his Men of Tribology appendix which gives details of outstanding contributors to the subject who have died since the first edition was published in 1979.

Professor Dowson's enthusiasm for his subject is infectious, making the book compulsive and easy reading. Yet it is authoritative and provides a thorough treatment of many of the diverse aspects and applications of tribology, the relevant organisations and the outstanding people involved. The main theme of the book is the story of the development of both the concepts and devices which have had an impact on tribology throughout the ages. The word tribology was chosen and defined in 1966 to include the study of lubricants, lubrication, friction, wear, bearings and related practices. The author tells the history of tribology chronologically from prehistoric times to 1977, including the often neglected Middle Ages. He provides tables relating the political and social events and general technical developments to the tribology of the period. Lubricants, lubrication theory, plain and rolling bearings, friction and brakes, piston rings and human joint prostheses are well covered.

The subject of sealing is the only major tribological topic which does not receive adequate treatment, except for seals in the form of piston rings for reciprocating engines. Neither the development of hydraulic seals which played such a vital role in the success of water hydraulics as a major power source in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, nor the use of mechanical face seals for rotating plant in place of packed glands, a significant success story of the past half century, is described. It was Joseph Bramah, a Yorkshire cabinet maker and inventive genius, who patented the hydraulic press incorporating improved piston seals in 1795. This led to the development of hydraulic mains as the chief power source in several major cities during the nineteenth century. As late as 1927 London still had over 4,000 hoists, lifts, presses and capstans powered by water hydraulics from the London main. However, excessive leakage, maintenance costs and the advent of electrically powered alternatives led to their obsolescence. The author might also have included more on the tribology of instruments and timepieces, starting with the achievements of John Harrison, a fellow Yorkshireman, who developed the marine chronometer. Computer hardware and magnetic storage systems receive only a brief mention. The 45 pages of references and bibliography contain only a few published since 1977. Silicon carbide, the modern ceramic with the most exciting tribological properties, is ignored. The list of published tribology books stops at 1978, but the lists of recipients of tribological awards and some events have been extended to 1997. Of the numerous tribological publications, such as this journal, there is no mention except in the pages of references. Industrial Lubrication and Tribology is given as the source of the article on the Ruby Jubilee of the Tribology Group.

The errors in the first edition, although commendably few, remain uncorrected. However, the author, unlike the publisher in its advertising fly-sheet and on the outer back cover of the book, does not claim that the book has been thoroughly revised and updated. These minor criticisms do not detract from the value of the book which is in a class of its own, as a beautifully presented specialist reference book. It had been out of print long before this edition appeared.

Perhaps Professor Dowson's greatest strength as a recorder and reviewer of historical events has been his ability to gain the active co-operation of others, both in academia and industry, in helping his research, aided by his many professional contacts at home and abroad. Another major advantage was his international reputation as a highly-respected researcher, collaborator and teacher in the fields of fluid mechanics and tribology. This book is still the most comprehensive and reliable source of information on the development of tribology available. It should readily find a place on the bookshelves of all with an interest in the history of science and technology, not only tribologists and mechanical engineers.

Bill Wilson