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Tanaka Lab
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A lab that uses tribology to make the hydraulic equipment of construction machinery more efficient.
AboutAbout the lab
Using the science of rubbing surfaces to make construction machinery more efficient.
The Tanaka Lab studies tribology to improve the performance of hydraulic equipment and machine elements such as gears in construction machinery.
The lab visualizes lubrication conditions and investigates how material surfaces and lubricants relate to sliding characteristics.
As a lab of the Komatsu Innovative Technology Co-creation Laboratory, a joint research hub established by Komatsu and the university, it conducts research toward the electrification of construction machinery.
Key terms
- Tribology
- The science that deals with friction, wear, lubrication, and related phenomena at surfaces where objects rub against each other
- Sliding
- Movement of machine parts while rubbing against each other
- Tribofilm
- A thin film formed on rubbing surfaces from components of the lubricating oil and other sources, which protects the surfaces
NewsLab news
Held a hands-on hydraulic system exhibit at Suzukake Science Day 2026
Held a joint lab tour of mechanical engineering labs for prospective graduate school applicants
A paper from joint research received the Academic Paper Award from the Japan Fluid Power System Society
A Komatsu researcher stationed at the hub received the Encouragement Award from the Japanese Society of Tribologists
Opened the lab to visitors at Suzukake Science Day 2025
ResearchResearch themes
The lab studies tribology technologies aimed at improving the performance of hydraulic equipment and machine elements such as gears and seals in construction machinery. It is pursuing research on hydraulic equipment suited to electrified construction machinery and on making sliding surfaces last longer.
*Illustrative imageHydraulic equipment for electrified construction machinery
For construction machinery driven by electric motors, reducing power consumption is one of the challenges. The lab is improving the performance of hydraulic equipment suited to electrified construction machinery so that it operates on less power.
*Illustrative imageMeasuring the oil film inside pumps
In the sliding parts of swash plate axial piston pumps, a type of hydraulic pump, the lab measures the thickness distribution of the oil film using fluorescence. The results are used for the optimal design of sliding parts.
*Illustrative imageHow films that protect sliding surfaces form
For the tribofilm formed by the lubricant additive ZnDTP, the lab investigates the relationship between how the film forms and the properties of the sliding surface, using surfaces with roughness close to that of actual components.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Tanaka Lab consist of faculty and master's and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- Project Associate ProfessorShinji TanakaPublications ↗
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Digger arm in silhouette - geograph.org.uk - 5661443” David Lally / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Hydraulic equipment for electrified construction machinery: “Rotterdam Ahoy Europort 2011 (54)” S.J. de Waard / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Measuring the oil film inside pumps: “Axial-piston-machine-pistons” Vivan755 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- How films that protect sliding surfaces form: “6.02 Static Friction Tribometer” Wsps / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (桃園研究室
（NSKトライボロジー協働研究拠点） ): “Ball bearing” Solaris2006 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped) - Related lab (伏信研究室): “ConvectionHeatSink” Harke / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (河本研究室): “Debris-GEO1280” NASA image / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (佐藤・関口研究室): “Gecko foot on glass” Bjørn Christian Tørrissen / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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