Postgraduate student wins prestigious tribology award

Timothy Kamps, postgraduate research student in Engineering and the Environment, has been awarded the prestigious Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) Tribology Trust Bronze Medal.

This is a national early career award in the field of tribology, friction lubrication and wear. It was presented to Timothy at the IMechE headquarters in London in recognition for his research, which aims to develop a sensor capable of detecting surface damage, known as ‘scuffing’, in engines.

Timothy said: “I am thrilled to accept this award for my research into understanding cylinder scuffing. It is very encouraging at this early stage of my career to receive recognition by the tribology community. I am grateful to my sponsors who have made it possible for me to carry out this research and am looking forward to seeing the results applied in industry.” 

Timothy’s project ‘Scuffing in piston assembly and liner of fired combustion engines’ is supported under a three-year Tizard Scholarship from Engineering and Environment and the National Centre for Advanced Tribology (nCATS) at Southampton. This is supplemented with industrial sponsorship from Phoenix Tribology Ltd. and Southwest Research Institute.