For his outstanding and sustained contribution to the science and technology of Tribology, especially in the fields of Surface Temperature and Rheology and of technology transfer to Tribology.
Ward Otis Winer was born in 1936 and educated at the University of Michigan, where he obtained his Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate’s degrees. Sponsored by the Institute of Science and Technology of the State of Michigan, he spent two years post-doctorate study in the Physics of Surfaces Laboratory at the Cavendish Laboratories, University of Cambridge, England, where he received a PhD(Physics). Returning to the United States, he taught Mechanical Engineering and developed a programme in Tribology at the University of Michigan. In 1969 he joined the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he became Professor in 1971 and Regents’ Professor in 1984, a post which he still holds with great distinction.
Professor Winer’s primary areas of research are Tribology and the Thermal Sciences. Under his direction, the tribology programme at the Georgia Institute of Technology has become one of the best known in the world, and resulted in several awards for Professor Winer, including the prestigious ASME Melville Medal in 1975 and a NASA certificate of recognition in 1977 for his pioneering research in the measurement by infra-red radiation of surface temperatures at the real areas of contact between sliding surfaces. Recently (1986), Professor Winer was awarded the ASME Mayo Hersey Award, which is regarded as the highest American honour in tribology.
Arising from the surface temperature measurements, which involved research on innovative instrumentation, it was found that the rise can be many hundreds of degrees centigrade above the bulk temperature, resulting in surface reactions and damage. His research has added to an understanding of the importance of interfacial temperatures in tribology.
Professor Winer has also made extensive contributions in the area of high-pressure rheology of lubricants. Particularly significant was his introduction into the field of tribology of the concept of glass transition at elevated pressures. His work demonstrated that in the control of lubricants friction and energy dissipation in many lubricated mechanisms, glass transition temperature of lubricants increased with pressure.
These concepts have been used to develop lubricants by manipulating the composition to give either high traction, for traction-drive applications, or to give low traction to reduce energy dissipation in automotive-drive trains. Two of the papers in the field of lubricant rheology, which he co-authored with S Yasutomi, introduced a modified free-volume concept to predict liquid viscosity over wide ranges of temperature and pressure. These papers received the ASME Tribology Division Best Paper Award in 1984. In co-operation with Professor S Ramalingam, he developed hard and soft surface coatings for tribological applications, which could have great potential for, and a significant effect on, high temperature mechanical system development.
Professor Winer’s research reputation is reflected by the number and prestige of the visiting scholars who have been attracted to his laboratory and by his speaking abilities, which have resulted in him presenting over 150 invited lectures in twelve countries.
In addition to his scientific achievements, Professor Winer has also given distinguished service and leadership to the professional community. He has been Director of both the American Society of Lubrication Engineers and the Society of Engineering Sciences, and has also been involved in many professional activities. He occupied with great distinction, the chairs of the ASME Tribology Division, its Research Committee on Tribology, the ASME Committee on Research Needs, the Bingham Award Selection Committee of the Society of Rheology, and the ASME/NSF Study “Research Needs in Thermal Systems”, as well as those of several international conferences. He is the current Chairman of the National Research Council Steering Committee for the Committee on Recommendations for US Army Basic Research. Of his contributions to the many Boards and Committees, on which he served, those to the ASME/NSF Study “Research Needs in Mechanical Systems” are particularly noteworthy, since they contributed considerably to the significant and far-reaching findings and recommendations of that study.
A prime mover, contributor and co-editor with M B Peterson of the 1980 ASME Wear Control Handbook, he is also author and co-author of more than 190 technical and scientific papers and reports concerning various aspects of tribology, including high pressure rheology, elasto-hydrodynamics, temperature investigations etc.
Primarily in tribology and tribology-associated matters, he has been principal investigator on projects sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Energy, and the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), as well as numerous industrial firms. He has also served as consultant to many industrial and legal firms, and to government agencies.
Professor Winer is an extremely competent engineer and scientist, an effective teacher and researcher, and an excellent communicator. His influence on the development of problem recognition in tribology in the United States, his untiring work to obtain funding for related projects and activities considered of national importance, and his efforts in this field for the benefit of engineers, industry and the nation, will be of lasting value to Tribology.
Professor Ward Otis Winer is indeed a worthy winner of the 1986 Tribology Gold Medal.