Selection of Tribological Solutions

Before considering tribological solutions a designer must first consider the possibility of eliminating the tribological difficulty by using. an alternative design. Designs with fewer moving parts not only eliminate some of the tribological headaches, but invariably provide a cheaper and more elegant solution to the overall problem. In chapter 1 this principle was illustrated by a rather graphic example, but many other less glamorous examples can be quoted. The use of elastometers and flexible linkages to provide a range of oscillatory motions without rubbing interfaces is an established practice, while the recently developed Wankel engine clearly illustrates the same basic principle.