Plane Thermoelastic Waves in Infinite Half-Space Caused


FACTA UNIVERSITATIS  
Series: Mechanical Engineering Vol. 14, No 3, 2016, pp. i - i 
 

Editorial 

FOREWORD TO THE THEMATIC ISSUE: 
TRIBOLOGY AND CONTACT MECHANICS  

IN BIOLOGICAL AND MEDICAL APPLICATIONS APPLICATIONS 
 

Tribology, contact mechanics and biomechanics belong to the group of extremely 
complex engineering disciplines and, not surprisingly, they have been a subject of interest 
for a long time now. The interest has particularly grown in the recent decades and the 
research in the field intensified dramatically. This may be partly attributed to the 
development of modern hardware tools which made computations and analyses that 
engineers dreamt of decades ago not only possible, but literally at their fingertips. Equally 
important is the recognition that the research in those fields can only be successful if it 
involves a multidisciplinary approach. Hence, it is of utmost importance that researchers 
should work together across those disciplines to tackle major challenges. This aspect was 
the major impetus for Valentin L. Popov (Technische Universität Berlin) and Sergey G. 
Psakhie (Russian Academy of Sciences) to bring the researchers together by organizing an 
International Workshop entitled Tribology and Contact Mechanics in Biological and 
Medical Applications at the Technische Universität Berlin.  

The present thematic issue contains a selection of papers which reflects the spectrum 
of topics addressed at the Workshop. The subject of the Workshop is the intersection of 
contact mechanics, tribology and medicine/biology. This area has been experiencing 
rapid development in recent years. Current research objectives include the development 
of high-performance and low-wear materials in order to significantly increase the life-
time of medical prostheses such as artificial hips or knee joints and implants. Tribological 
characteristics play a very important role here, so that their influence on the functional 
properties of biological joints and medical devices is of great interest. For example, 
ultrasound oscillations are used to produce or improve the function of biomedical 
instruments. The wear behavior, temperature development and damping properties can be 
controlled by a targeted use of gradient materials. Another major area of research is the 
optimal adaptation and compatibility between artificial material and human tissue. A very 
important issue is the adhesive behavior of biological tissues. A further focus is on 
elastomers whose capabilities are tested for transferability to human tissue.  

Due to the extreme interdisciplinary character of the field of bio-tribology, many, even 
fundamental, questions have not been answered yet. It is important in this area to look for 
complementary expertise and combine it. This is the main focus of the Workshop. 

 Dragan Marinković 
 Editor-in-Chief 


	Editorial
	FOREWORD TO THE THEMATIC ISSUE: TRIBOLOGY AND CONTACT MECHANICS  IN BIOLOGICAL AND MEDICAL APPLICATIONS APPLICATIONS