A total of ten doctoral students defended their theses during the year. From left top row: Yuko Higashitani, Julian Somberg, Kalle Kalliorinne, Jun Chen, Idiris Mehamud Aliyi, Di Wang, Jamal Choudhry, Gabriel Macêdo, Sharjeel Ahmed Khan and Maksim Nikonovich.

Record year for machine elements - ten PhD students graduated in 2024

Machine Elements has had an exceptional year – ten PhD students completed their theses in 2024. The research covers a wide range of topics, from environmentally friendly drilling to ski performance and lubrication in extreme conditions.

2024 has marked a record-breaking year for research in machine elements, a technical discipline critical to advancing sustainability and performance across various sectors. The fact that ten PhD candidates have defended their theses in a single year highlights both the scale of the research environment and the diverse applications of the field.

“We initiated several doctoral projects just before and during the COVID pandemic, and now we’re seeing the results. It’s incredibly exciting to see the breadth of subject areas, but it’s important to remember that in every case, there is a tribological question at the core. This highlights how multidisciplinary our field is—so many exciting things can happen when surfaces come into contact!” says Roland Larsson, Head of Subject and professor of Machine Elements.

The research addresses a broad array of challenges and innovations. One thesis, “Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly Drilling of CFRP-Ti Stacks by DLC Coated Drills – A Tribomechanics Approach”, explored improving eco-friendly drilling techniques for composite materials and titanium. Another, “Prediction of traction in EHL contacts operating in the linear isothermal region”, focused on predicting friction properties in lubricating films under extreme pressure and temperature conditions.

Other theses highlight advanced material solutions and sustainable innovation, such as “High Temperature Tribology of Additively Manufactured Tool Materials for Hot Stamping Applications”, which analyzed manufacturing techniques for high-temperature tooling, and “Optimizing Ice-Resistant Surfaces: Unifying Self-Healing, Durability, and Functional Design for Superior Anti-/De-Icing Performance”, offering solutions for more efficient de-icing technologies.

The research also connects to everyday applications, such as skiing technology. For example, the thesis “On the Multi-Scale Nature of Ski-Snow Friction: Field Testing, Characterisation and Modelling of Cross-Country Ski Performance” investigated how ski-snow friction can be optimized for better performance.

The dissertations of 2024:

• Di Wang – Wear and corrosion resistance lignin coating External link.
• Gabriel Macêdo – High Temperature Tribology of Additively Manufactured Tool Materials for Hot Stamping Applications External link.
• Idiris Mehamud Aliyi – Triboelectric Nanogenerator (TENG)-based self-powered machine condition monitoring External link.
• Jamal Choudhry – Numerical models for simulating wear and friction-induced heating in rough surface contacts External link.
• Julian Somberg – Graphene as Solid Lubricant in Polymer Composites: With Application in Hydropower Bearings External link.
• Jun Chen – Optimizing Ice-Resistant Surfaces: Unifying Self-Healing, Durability, and Functional Design for Superior Anti-/De-Icing Performance External link.
• Kalle Kalliorinne – On the Multi-Scale Nature of Ski-Snow Friction: Field Testing, Characterisation and Modelling of Cross-Country Ski Performance External link.
• Maksim Nikonovich – Tribological and mechanical performance of thermoplastic composites. Effect of cryogenic aging and testing-environment External link.
• Sharjeel Ahmed Khan – Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly Drilling of CFRP-Ti Stacks by DLC Coated Drills – A Tribomechanics Approach External link.
• Yuko Higashitani – Prediction of traction in EHL contacts operating in the linear isothermal region External link.