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Press Release
NSK to Exhibit at 4th World Tribology Congress and “Energy Conservation / Eco Technologies in the World” Exhibition
Tokyo, Japan, August 31, 2009 NSK Ltd. (NSK; Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; President and CEO: Norio Otsuka) will exhibit at the 4th World Tribology*1 Congress (WTC IV) and parallel “Energy Conservation / Eco Technologies in the World Messages for the Next Generation” exhibition, which will be held at the Kyoto International Conference Center in Kyoto's Sakyo Ward from Monday, September 7 to Friday, September 11.
*1:Tribology is the science and technology field concerned with friction, wear, and lubrication. Tribology deals with controlling friction in all moving parts in a wide array of products and industries, including automobiles, railway vehicles, airplanes, spacecraft, industrial machinery, and home appliances. It contributes to protection of the environment by achieving higher performance, greater sophistication, better energy efficiency, and longer service life (improved reliability).
Ever since producing the first ball bearings made in Japan in 1916, NSK has contributed to the growth of numerous industries and the protection of the global environment through the control of friction and the curbing of energy loss by leveraging tribology to developed cutting-edge technologies. NSK leads the industry with technological expertise cultivated over its 90-plus year history to deliver higher velocity, noise suppression, service longevity, high precision, high load capacity, and size and weight reduction.
1. 4th World Tribology Congress
Held once every four years, the World Tribology Congress (WTC) is the largest event in the field of tribology. It is attended by tribology engineers and researchers and is presided over by the International Tribology Council, which consists of 36 organizations from 34 countries worldwide. The WTC began in London in 1997 and has been held in Vienna and Washington D.C. This year, the 4th congress, is the first to be held in Asia. During the event, academic programs and technology sessions will be held to facilitate information and technology exchange among international academics, engineers and researchers.
NSK will make six presentations on its latest tribology research results at WTC IV.
2. Energy Conservation / Eco Technologies in the World
The “Energy Conservation / Eco Technologies in the World” exhibition will be held parallel to WTC IV to enable the general public to better understand and feel more familiar with the tribology that contributes to energy conservation and the environment. The NSK booth will include a display of products and technologies cultivated through tribology research and application as well as content that will allow all visitors, from children to adults, to have fun while learning about cutting-edge tribology that contributes to energy savings.
Reference Material
| Presenter | Content |
|---|---|
| Presentations | |
| Kenichi Shibasaki (Basic Technology Research Center) |
F-312 “Development of Numerical Method for Coupled Simulation of Starved EHL and Macro Flow” |
| Michita Hokao (Basic Technology Research Center) |
B2-413 “Lubricating Properties of Silica Nanoparticles as a Fluorinated Grease Additive” |
| Hiroki Yamada (Basic Technology Research Center) |
B1-113 “The effects of hydrogen on microstructural change and surface originated flaking in rolling contact fatigue” |
| Keisuke Tanaka (NSK Precision Co.,Ltd.) |
F-231 “Vertical stiffnesses of preloaded linear guideway type ball bearings incorporating the flexibility of the carriage and rail” |
| Poster presentations | |
| Atsushi Tajiri (Bearing Design Technology Department) |
P-127 “Contact analysis for material softening by frictional heating” |
| Sosuke Kawai (NSK Warner K.K.) |
P-117 “Development of Wet Friction Material for Anti hot-spot through Quantitative analysis” |
| Bearings Glocken II | Bearings Glocken is a self-playing glockenspiel (a musical instrument similar to a xylophone with metal bars) that uses steel balls made for bearings. Bearings Glocken came about through the collaboration between NSK and artist Kohske Kawase. Bearing balls, which are finished more closely to a perfect sphere than any other ball in the world in order to minimize friction, are rarely seen since they are usually incorporated into machines. Bearings Glocken brings these balls into the open and utilizes their property of bouncing like clockwork to realize the new concept of a self-playing glockenspiel. Bearings Glocken II, which will be displayed this time, has a repertoire of five pieces. Visitors are encouraged to stop by to see the instrument's beautiful mirror-like surface and listen to its soft yet rich tone. |
|---|---|
| Wind power generators | Wind power generators are becoming common around the world. On top of reducing friction resistance and loss, NSK's bearings are so durable and reliable that they do not need to be changed for more than 20 years, even under the harsh conditions faced by marine wind power generators. This exhibit will feature a 1/100 scale model wind power generator. |
In addition to the above, NSK will exhibit other tribology-related products that underpin modern life, ranging from familiar products like automobiles to satellites.
Event Overview
| Dates: | Monday, September 7 Friday, September 11 10:00-17:00 (finishing at 14:00 on the final day) |
|---|---|
| Venue: | Kyoto International Conference Center (Sakyo-ku, Kyoto) |
| Organizers: | Japanese Society of Tribologists, Science Council of Japan |
| Sponsors: | Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry |
| Website: | http://www.wtc2009.jp/index.html
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About NSK
Established in 1916, NSK produced the first ball bearings made in Japan. Since then, NSK has developed a full range of bearings and has contributed greatly to the development of industry and the advancement of technology. Today, NSK is the No.1 manufacturer of bearings in Japan and the No.3 manufacturer in the world.
NSK has used its expertise in precision machining technology, refined through years of bearing manufacturing, to diversify into automotive products, and precision machinery and parts. Since the 1960s, the NSK Group has aggressively developed its markets outside Japan and currently has development, production, and marketing operations in 27 countries.