PCS Instruments

🎧 Missed the latest Tribology Talks episode? Here’s a look at what Chris Clayson shared in Part 1. In this conversation, PCS Instruments host Kieran Nar speaks with Chris Clayson from Cargill about how rapid change in the lubricants industry is reshaping the way scientists develop and test next-generation fluids. From shifting viscosities in electric drivetrains to the rise of renewable formulations, Chris explains how chemistry, tribology and real-world application are converging faster than ever before. In Part 1, Chris discusses: ⚡ The pace of change in automotive fluids and electrification 🔬 How interdisciplinary thinking drives modern R&D 🧪 Why test methods must evolve alongside industry demands 🌍 The growing role of sustainability in formulation strategies 🔧 Why the MTM remains central to understanding a fluid’s behaviour Catch up on the episode and hear how scientists are responding to some of the industry’s toughest new challenges. 🎧 Listen to Part 1 now: Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dhyNCC6G Apple: https://lnkd.in/dzywTNch #Podcast #pcsinstruments #Engineering #Education

The PCS Instruments MTM-EC ⚡ This advanced upgrade to the MTM system provides cutting-edge capabilities, enabling researchers to investigate the effects of electricity on tribological systems with unparalleled precision. As industries move away from fossil fuels towards electrically powered devices, understanding the effects of electrical potentials is critical. The MTM-EC helps researchers study how electrical potentials influence lubricants and the wear on machine components, offering insights into how running conditions under electric potentials might help or hinder component lifespan. ☑️MTM-EC Features and Capabilities The MTM-EC records electrical data over various time scales, enabling users to investigate the capacitive nature of lubricating films under different conditions, such as loads, speeds, slide-roll ratios (SRR), and voltages. 📊 ☑️Key Observations from the MTM-EC Figure 2 demonstrates measured mean voltage and current over time at a constant 1V applied across the ball and disc. While speed, load, and SRR remain constant, around the one-hour mark, the lubricant transitions into an insulating state before reverting to its conductive state. This capacitor-like behaviour of the lubricant is intriguing, with the discharge phase of particular interest due to the potential for electrical arcing damage to components. ⚙️ On a smaller time scale, Figure 3 captures a live oscilloscope trace of discharges and recharges on the millisecond scale. These findings provide valuable data to align observed surface damage with specific electrical conditions, helping researchers begin to understand the fundamental chemical mechanisms influenced by these phenomena. 💡 This research opens up opportunities to optimise lubricants and components for electrically powered systems, ensuring better performance and durability in applications like electric vehicles. 🚗 ☑️Learn More For more details on the MTM-EC’s electrical specifications, visit MTM-EC Product Page, you can find the link in the comments below. Make sure to follow our campaign throughout the week for further insights and results. We’d love to hear your thoughts or answer any questions - feel free to get in touch! ✉️ #Tribology #MTMEC #EVResearch #Materialscience

Following our recent US expansion, we’re continuing the dialogue with our management team. Tom Welham, Research & Development Manager at PCS Instruments, shares his perspective on how greater proximity to our US customers will strengthen partnerships and accelerate innovation. #PCSInstruments #Tribology #USExpansion #Engineering #Testing #CustomerFocus #Collaboration

We’re continuing the conversation this week around our recent US expansion. A direct presence in the US marks a significant step for PCS Instruments. It strengthens how we engage with customers in a key marketplace and supports a more immediate and connected way of working. Dana Miller FCIM, Head of Marketing at PCS Instruments shares her perspective on this next phase. #PCSInstruments #Tribology #USExpansion #Engineering #Testing #CustomerFocus #Collaboration

Alongside the recent opening in the US, we’ve been speaking to the people behind the move. This week, we’ll be sharing perspectives from across the management team on what this step means, how it’s been shaped, and where it leads next. Sam Sweeney, Financial Director/Treasurer at PCS Instruments, reflects on the journey to this point and the decision to establish a presence in the US. #PCSInstruments #Tribology #USExpansion #Engineering

🔧 How do chemistry, tribology and real-world problem-solving come together inside modern lubricant development? In Part 1 of Tribology Talks, PCS Instruments host Kieran Nar speaks with Chris Clayson, Application Scientist for Energy Technologies at Cargill about the path that led him into tribology and the challenges shaping next-generation transmission fluids. From his early work across placements to his current R&D role, Chris explains how tribology became the discipline that brought physics, chemistry and maths together in a way no other field could. In this episode, Chris discusses: 🔬 The moment tribology “clicked” during his placement at Cargill ⚙️ How interdisciplinary testing methods shape real automotive and industrial solutions 🌱 Why sustainability is no longer optional in fluid design ⚡ How electrification is driving rapid changes in viscosity, test methods and customer expectations 🧪 Why the MTM remains his essential starting point for understanding a fluid 🎧 Listen to Part 1 now: Spotify: https://lnkd.in/e77hZW8C Apple: https://lnkd.in/eXKM9y8H #Podcast #PCSInstruments #Engineering #Tribology

Final day at in-cosmetics Global! A few days in Paris, and one thing is clear. The way we understand product performance is continuing to shift. Across the bustling exhibition and conference, conversations have consistently returned to how formulation, structure and sensory experience connect. Not just how products are designed, but how they are felt, and how that experience can be understood with greater clarity. A few reflections from the team this week: ➡️Continued pressure to move quickly, with development cycles needing to keep pace with fast-moving trends ➡️Ongoing challenges around linking laboratory insight to real-world performance and substantiating claims ➡️Increasing interest in more structured, data-led approaches to support formulation and decision making What stands out is how much focus there now is on bridging the gap between subjective experience and measurable data. Texture, spread, after-feel, these are no longer abstract qualities. They are becoming part of a more structured, testable framework. It is a space that is still developing, but one that is clearly moving quickly! Want to get in touch to discuss, reach out to us here 👇 https://lnkd.in/emS4YEXC #inCosmeticsGlobal #PersonalCare #SoftTribology #SensoryScience #PCSInstruments

🎊 Our 40th newsletter edition. A milestone in itself. This time, it also marks something bigger. We’ve opened in the US, with a new US facing site for our customers. For years, PCS Instruments have supported customers across the United States from the UK, building relationships, understanding challenges, and contributing to research and development along the way. Now, we’re taking that a step further with a dedicated presence on the ground. In this edition, we sit down with our founders, John Hutchinson and Clive Hamer, and CEO Steven Horder to talk about why now, what’s changed, and what this means for customers. From timing and long-term intent, to technical support and closer collaboration, their perspectives give a clear view of what this next chapter looks like. If you’re working in tribology, powertrain development, or fluid testing in the US, this one is for you. #PCSInstruments #CompanyUpdate #Milestone #Engineering

PCS Instruments are in Paris! Today marks the opening of in-cosmetics Global bringing together the global personal care industry for three days of formulation, ingredient innovation, and technical exchange. Across the exhibition and conference, the focus is clear. Product performance is no longer defined by formulation alone, but by how it is experienced. Texture, spreadability, absorption, after-feel. These are no longer subjective endpoints, they are becoming measurable, repeatable and increasingly central to development. It is a shift that continues to bring rheology and tribology closer together. Bulk behaviour tells part of the story, but it is at the interface, under real conditions of use, where products are truly understood. Attending from PCS Instruments this week: Dr Kieran Nar Amitha Clark Dr Rory McAllister We will be there throughout the event - looking forward to conversations around soft tribology, sensory testing, and how measurement techniques are evolving alongside formulation demands. If you are attending, it would be great to connect. #inCosmeticsGlobal #PersonalCare #SoftTribology #FormulationScience #PCSinstruments

The conversation around tribology is shifting and much of that shift is being driven by the work happening across our US network. From Dr Pranjal Nautiyal exploring how behaviour at material interfaces changes across scales, from atomic interactions to real systems, to Dr Peter Lee challenging how we design tests around real applications, and Dr Parker LaMascus pushing for deeper, time-resolved insight into tribocoating performance a clear theme is emerging. Bench testing is not the problem. But what we ask of it is changing. In our latest piece, we explore how tribology is moving beyond simplified outputs towards something more representative, more application-led and ultimately more useful for real engineering decisions. It’s a perspective shaped by conversations across the US, and one that feels increasingly relevant as systems become more complex. 🔗 Read the full article on our UK site: https://lnkd.in/eSnBsfYj 🔗 Read the full article on our US site: https://lnkd.in/eV9uypDm #Tribology #Engineering #USExpansion #SurfaceEngineering #PCSInstruments