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Falex Tribology

Falex Experience and Expertise

In June 1999, Falex Corporation and the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven jointly established a European tribology laboratory in Leuven, Belgium.

Falex Corporation, located near Chicago, USA is the market-leader in the development and manufacturing of standard tribology and petroleum test equipment. With more than 75 years of experience and constant development in the field, Falex Corporation invests in state-of-the art tribological test equipment, most of them backed up by ASTM and other international standards.

The Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven has a long experience in tribological research. Under the direction of Prof. Jean-Pierre Celis, the Surface Engineering Group has built up experience in the material aspects of dry friction and wear. Especially the behaviour of surface coatings and tribo-chemistry are studied.

The Falex Tribology NV laboratory was established to consolidate the marketing and service efforts of the Falex Corporation in Europe and to increase the value of their equipment by research projects. The nearby location of the laboratory ensures that the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven has easy access to a wide range of test equipment.

Falex Tribology NV Successfully Secures EFRO-VLAIO Project 1948: 'Vlaams Innovatief Micropitting Labo

Falex Tribology NV is thrilled to announce its recent success in securing the EFRO-VLAIO project 1948, entitled 'Vlaams Innovatief Micropitting Labo.' The EFRO (European Regional Development Fund) is backing this groundbreaking initiative with a 100,000 Euro investment, supporting Falex Tribology NV's total commitment of 250,000 Euros. The investment includes a state-of-the-art PCS MicroPitting Test Rig MPR and a Keyence VR6000 Profiler for fast analysis of pitting and micropitting damage on cylindrical test specimens.

Hard Chromium Alternative EU Project Successfully Concluded

We have succesfully concluded our current ‘Hardalt’ European research project on finding alternatives for the standard Hard Chromium coatings. Some alternatives, specifically Nickel Phosphorous based coatings with nano-particle strengthening, are showing promising results.

New Method of Tackiness Testing

After some initial trials and a lot of brainstorming, we now propose a correlation between the ‘finger test’ field experience of tackiness of a grease (the thread formation) and a lab-based repeatable and reproducible force measurement. The lab method allows the measurement of pull-off force of a ball pressed into a grease, as well as the resistance against further pulling apart, while treads form. As speed of separation plays a critical role in the thread formation, a speed mapping of the pull-off force is used to map the properties of a grease.

Launch of Falex Global Application Centre

Falex Tribology nv launched the Falex Global Application Centre in Tribology during the Materials 2016 trade fair in Veldhoven.

New! Belgian Falex Lab Acquires a Miller Number Slurry Abrasivity Test Machine

Falex Tribology nv has added a Miller Number Slurry Abrasion Test Machine to its already extensive tribotesters base. We can now perform your ASTM G75 or custom slurry abrasion tests in our lab in Belgium. The Falex Miller Number Slurry Abrasivity Test Machine develops data on the relative abrasivity of any slurry (Miller Number), or response of different materials to abrasivity of slurries (SAR Number). The Miller Number is an index of the relative abrasivity of slurries. Its primary purpose is to rank the abrasivity of slurries in terms of the wear of a standard reference material. The wear damage on the block is worse as the Falex Miller Number gets higher. The SAR Number is an index of the relative abrasion response of materials as tested in any particular slurry of interest. The SAR Number is a generalized form of the Miller Number applicable to materials other than the referenced material used for the Miller Number determination. A major purpose is to rank construction materials for use in a system for pumping and fluid handling equipment for a particular slurry. The slurry damage on the specimen of material being tested is worse as the SAR Number gets higher.

New! Belgian Falex Lab Acquires a Falex Timken Test Machine

By acquiring a Timken Extreme Pressure Test Rig, Falex Tribology nv has extended its standard test range available in Belgium with the ASTM D2509 and D2782 tests. The Falex Timken Extreme Pressure Test Rig is one of the first commercially manufactured and most widely recognized testers for evaluating the load carrying capacity of extreme pressure lubricants. Originally developed in the 1930’s by the Timken Company, this tester evaluates fluid lubricants and greases containing extreme-pressure additives. ASTM D2509 is the standard test method for measurement of load-carrying capacity of lubricating grease (Timken method). The test method is used widely for specification purposes and is used to differentiate between greases having low, medium, or high levels of extreme pressure characteristics. ASTM D2782 is the standard test method for measurement of extreme-pressure properties of lubricating fluids. It is used widely for the determination of extreme pressure properties for specification purposes.

New! 3-D Measurements with Confocal Microscope

As of January 2014, we have installed a Nanofocus µSurf Explorer in our labs. This significant investment fits in our strategy to expand our high quality testing and characterisation infrastructure to remain true to our mission : providing high quality data to our industrial customers in the context of our credo “quality, knowledge, partner solutions”

Did you know we also do testing?

You may know Falex Tribology in Rotselaar, Belgium as your European sales and technical support centre for Falex products.