Friction is immensely important to us – without it, for example, we could not walk or even crawl – yet it is only 50 years since a special word –  ‘tribology’ – was first coined to describe its study.

Understanding fluids and their behaviour is key to developing new manufacturing processes and a wide range of applications. Professor Ian Hutchings, Head of the Inkjet Research Centre, and Dr Ronan Daly, Head of the Fluids in Advanced Manufacturing Group, explain how the IfM’s research in this area has evolved over the last ten years – and where they see it heading.

From wind farms to data storage, from deodorants to floor tiles, tribology is involved in many aspects of modern life – yet most people have never heard of the word, let alone know what it means.