New Technology Centre

 

BNL established its New Technology Centre (NTC) in the summer of 2009 to develop BNL's existing capabilities and investigate new opportunities to increase our expertise and product offering. The New Technology Centre's mission is to become a global centre of excellence for the research, development and understanding of polymer tribology and it's application.

Tribology is defined as "the science of interacting surfaces and covers all aspects of friction, lubrication and wear" ( The Leonardo Centre; the University of Sheffield). It is an interdisciplinary field which comprises elements of mechanical engineering, physics, materials science and chemistry. 

The NTC has spent its first few months building upon existing facilities to establish a leading research and development laboratory. Through funding, investment and close partnerships with research institutions in relevant fields, we intend to strengthen the NTC for the development and validation of different aspects of tribology.

Expanding Capabilities

We specifically want to apply this research to BNL's product range, with the aim of expanding our expertise and business opportunities. The NTC will drive BNL's growth strategies by developing technical capabilities and increasing knowledge of:

  • thermal behaviour in polymers in order to offer products with extended life, across a broader temperature range
  • materials and tribology to further develop BNL capabilities in plasticbearings, polymer gears and shafts
  • advanced injection moulding techniques and processes

By expanding our technical capabilities and increasing and maintaining our knowledge, we can extend the functional boundaries and life of our products, adding value, delivering high quality and ensuring accuracy.

Building our knowledge network

The New Technology Centre at BNL works alongside customers' R&D departments, material suppliers (such as Dupont and BASF), academic institutions (such as the University of Sheffield) and independent polymer centres. Through this network, we plan to build a broad knowledge base to be shared and used to promote the acceptance of plastic products and designs as viable alternatives to metal and other materials.

We have set up a BNL Group on LinkedIn which we aim to use to advance independent discussions on all matters relating to polymer tribology and related topics. Please feel free to join up to the group or its focussed sub-groups to join in the debates.

If you would like further information about BNL's New Technology Centre please contact us.