Kiwi tribology expert gains international recognition

One of New Zealand’s leading tribology and conditioning monitoring experts has taken his place on the world stage by contributing to a new international industrial handbook.

Auckland-based, William Liu, employed by global inspection and certification company, SGS, was invited to solo-author a chapter of the recently released, 'Handbook of Materials Failure Analysis: With Case Studies from the Chemicals, Concrete and Power Industries.' The new handbook provides an in-depth examination of materials failure in specific situations and is relevant to the engineering and energy industries.

Liu is the handbook’s only New Zealand contributor, and only solo-author, featuring alongside leading professors from around the world. His chapter is titled: ‘Chapter 13 – A concise filtergram wear particle atlas and some case studies’; and contains 140 particle photos and six industry case studies. It compares the advantages and disadvantages among ferrograph, filtergram, and computer image analysis techniques; presents the typical wear particles on filtergram including babbitt alloy wear particles, and demonstrates the skill of revealing both sides of the magnetic wear particles.

Liu works full-time as a Metallurgy and Tribology Specialist for SGS. His routine work covers both oil analysis and failure and defect analysis. In the last three years, he has had seven solo-authored articles published in the renowned international academic journal, Engineering Failure Analysis. Unlike the published findings of other research teams, Liu’s articles present his scientific discoveries and engineering contributions from his routine work.

Liu says he is honoured to have been approached to contribute to the handbook. “It’s a real privilege to be asked to write for such a prestigious international handbook, and an honour to have my work in the field of tribology and condition monitoring recognised internationally. I hope that my research and insights prove valuable to New Zealand industry.”

Liu’s chapter can be ordered online via: www.sciencedirect.com

The complete 'Handbook of Materials Failure Analysis: With Case Studies from the Chemicals, Concrete and Power Industries’ can be ordered online via: www.booktopia.com.au