December 2024 - The Tribology of Climbing

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In this month's episode we sit down with Dr. Hannes Grillenberger, Product Manager at Schaeffler, as we talk about the tribology of climbing. Dr. Grillenberger, an experienced climber, reviews how he uses his understanding of tribology to help him choose equipment, techniques, and routes when climbing. Climbing, a physically and mentally demanding sport, involves ascending natural rock formations or artificial walls using specialized techniques and equipment. Dr. Grillenberger and other tribologists find particular interest in the friction and wear considerations inherent to climbing gear, such as ropes, harnesses, and footwear, as well as the tribological properties of rock surfaces that influence grip and ascent strategies.

Dr. Hannes Grillenberger received his PhD in physics 2012 and started working at Schaeffler at the Rolling Element Bearing Fundamentals department 2017. He was promoted to senior specialist NVH calculation of Rolling Element Bearings in 2018 and to Key Expert Rolling Element Bearing Fundamentals as a product manager for engineering tools in 2023.

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