Introduction

Against the backdrop of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there is growing momentum toward higher efficiency in a variety of industrial products. This means that rolling bearings, which are used in the moving parts of various products, are required to have even lower torque and longer service life. However, there is no theoretical guideline for the optimal design of rolling bearings.

 Therefore, we are working on the derivation of various theoretical equations that clarify the lubrication mechanism of rolling bearings. In order to verify the accuracy of these theoretical equations, it is also necessary to develop advanced visualization techniques. We hope to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society by finding theoretically based optimum design guidelines for rolling bearings.

NSK Ltd., a rolling bearing manufacturer, established this collaborative research cluster on December 4, 2023 at Tokyo Institute of Technology Suzukakedai Campus. More than five young researchers from our company, including specially-appointed professor Momozono, are stationed in our laboratory. I believe that students will be able to enjoy their research more and more since they will be in an environment where they can consult with many people! You may also get a sense of what research in a company is like, as if you are participating in an internship every day!