Date & Time: Thursday, July 3, 2025, 14:00–15:00

Venue: Room 2057, Building 2, Innovation Harbor

Speaker: Professor Rob Dwyer-Joyce, University of Sheffield, UK

Speaker Biography: Professor Rob Dwyer-Joyce is the Director of the Leonardo Centre for Tribology and Surface Engineering at the University of Sheffield. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng), a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (FIMechE), a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME Fellow), and a Fellow of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE Fellow).He has served as the Editor of the IMechE Journal of Tribology and is currently on the editorial boards of ASME Journal of Tribology, Lubrication Science, BioTribology, and Friction. His research spans lubrication science, ultrasonic sensing, contact mechanics, and structural health monitoring. He has made systematic and pioneering contributions to the understanding of friction and wear mechanisms and the measurement of oil film thickness. He is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Donald Julius Groen Prize from IMechE and the Frank P. Bussick and Edmund E. Bisson Awards from STLE.

Lecture Abstract: Accurate measurement of oil films in engineering components is critical to ensuring effective lubrication, minimizing wear, and improving operational reliability. Traditional measurement techniques often face challenges related to accuracy, invasiveness, and real-time applicability. Ultrasonic technology has emerged as a reliable non-destructive method for oil film evaluation, offering advantages such as high precision, non-invasiveness, and suitability for in-situ monitoring. This paper discusses the fundamental principles of ultrasonic oil film measurement, including signal reflection, time-frequency analysis, and acoustic impedance considerations. The application of ultrasonic techniques is demonstrated through engineering case studies involving journal bearings, rolling-element bearings, and cylinder liner–piston ring systems, where real-time oil film monitoring contributes to enhanced performance. The results highlight the practicality of ultrasound-based methods in industrial environments, supporting predictive maintenance and optimized lubrication management.