Tribology and Design 2012 is the fourth international conference in this series which originated with two meetings held at Bournemouth University, UK, in 2005 and 2007, followed by a third conference in 2010, that took place in the Algarve, Portugal, in collaboration with the University of Porto.

The main objective of these meetings is to provide a forum for discussion among scientists, academics and professionals working in different aspects of tribology.

The Tribology and Design conference explores the role of technology and design in the broader sense. It aims to bring together colleagues from different disciplines interested in problems of surface interaction and design. The range of topics to be discussed embraces all aspects of concern including space applications, reliability, energy applications, advanced materials and corrosion. It has never been so important for the designers to consider product and system durability in relation to reliability and sustainability issues.

Tribology problems are essentially interdisciplinary. Engineers and scientists working in this field must be familiar with a wide range of issues, including surface mechanics, material characterization, chemical and biological processes, computer simulation, measurements and many others. The aim of Tribology and Design 2012 is to facilitate knowledge exchange between scientists from different disciplines from all over the world.

Conference topics include;

- Design tools
- Test methods
- Surface engineering
- Tribology under extreme conditions
- Surface measurements
- Advances in lubrication
- Wear mechanics
- Plasticizers and slip additives
- Tribology in biomechanics
- Nano-tribology and design
- Tribology in space applications
- Reliability and life-oriented design
- Advanced materials