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Research in the Mechanical Engineering Department has led to a series of experimental techniques for measuring the fundamental properties of lubricants in a scientific manner. These include measurement of the thickness, structure and properties of fluid and solid lubricating films, as well as the friction, fatigue and wear behaviour of lubricated surfaces.
Measuring instruments based upon these techniques have been commercialised by a spin-out company, PCS Instruments, which has now become the largest supplier of Tribology test equipment in the world. Over the period 2008-13 it had a turnover of £39.8M (£7.63M in 2012-13). The research has changed the way in which lubricants and lubricant additives are developed, with PCS test rigs in use in all the major lubricant and additive companies, as well as many University tribology research and National Standards laboratories. The techniques have enabled the development by industry of a new generation of high-efficiency lubricants for automotive applications.
Research undertaken by the University of Sheffield between 1999 and 2012 in functional oxide thin films was commercialised through knowledge transfer partnerships (KTP) with Ilika Technology. This directly led to over £1M in contracts and subsequent improvements in the commercial viability of the product base of blue-chip companies such as Toshiba, Toyota and Ceramtec and contributed to the increase in Ilika's turnover to ~£2M per annum and a growth in staff from 5 to 35 in 2012. In 2011, Ilika floated on the stock exchange with a valuation of ~£20M. The CEO has personally recognised the role Sheffield has played in establishing Ilika Technology as a limited company and in growing company revenue through contracts with leading multinationals.
The Thin Film Centre (TFC) group at UWS pioneered thin film materials and processes for plastic electronics with Dupont Teijin Films (DTF) Ltd and Plastic Logic (PL) Ltd over a period of nine years. This work was pivotal to the growth of PL from a start-up position resulting in the first all-polymer e-book reader and was the basis of a world leading position in the supply of specialised substrates for DTF Ltd.
This research within the Unit was in collaboration with TT Electronics plc. to develop a novel low-ohmic thin film resistor for precision current measurement in power management applications. TT Electronics plc. is an international company with 6,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of over £500 million to multinational clients such as BMW, Daimler and BAE Systems. Since 2008 the benefits of this research to TT Electronics plc. include: