Laboratoire de Mécanique des Contacts et des Structures

Research at the Laboratoire de Mécanique des Contacts et des Structures focuses on the prediction and analysis of performance and integrity of mechanical and live systems under static, cyclic, dynamic or extreme conditions, ranging from a component or components to the complete system. The lab offers a wide range of skills in tribology, dynamic dynamics, vibration, control, transmission systems, rotating machines, composites, innovative processes, biomechanics, energy recovery and materials physics.


Expertise provided by the Laboratoire de Mécanique des Contacts et des Structures to LABEX covers :

• Tribology & interface mechanics : understanding the tribological behavior of interfaces, producing predictive numerical models of friction, wear, liquid or solid lubrication.
• Mechanical systems and contacts : functional analysis of lubricated systems and dynamics of multi body systems, surface fatigue, biomechanics.
• Multiphysics mechanics for materials and processes : numerical simulation of processes, implementation to various kinds of materials and surfaces.
• Multiscale mechanics for solids : relations between manufacturing and durability of components and structures

Technical platforms : thanks to the recent move of the laboratory to a new building, most test equipment has been fully updated, and new equipment purchased. Microscopy, Geeble simulator, and innovative processes are already exploited with other laboratories.

• Wide range of home-made tribometers, from fretting wear simulator (Pedeba) under controlled environments (vacuum, negative temperature) to high pressure torsional flat on flat tribotester (Rheos),
• Set of bio-tribo equipment, from the tribo-touch simulator to the bio-reactor fretting tribo-tester for in-vivo observations, custom made membrane fluorescence probes, ISO certified laboratory,
• Platform for the development of innovative processes: coating deposited by cold spray, surface treatment by cavitation peening, by electromagnetic pulse peening, by laser heat treatment,
• Characterization of materials in extreme transient conditions (impact, shocks, low-high temperature, high heating rate) : Hopkinson bars, tensile-compression/torsion test machines with induction or Joule heating,
• Micro and stereo-equipment and homemade software for digital image correlation (DIC),
• Platform to investigate the integrity of photovoltaic cells under thermo-mechanical loading, in link with the DURASOL Equipex.