NanoMech And Cameron International Partner On Friction Solution

NanoMech Inc. and Cameron International Group announced an agreement to utilize TriboTuff lubricant in some of Cameron’s valves and flow equipment used extensively in the worldwide gas and oil supply chain.

The use of Springdale-based NanoMech’s product is expected to dramatically extend the performance, durability and reliability of Cameron’s critical mechanical components.

Friction is one of the major reasons for failure of engineering components and systems used in aerospace, military, and industrial applications. The annual cost of friction and wear-related energy and material losses is estimated to be over $700 billion — 5% to 7% of the United States’ $14 trillion gross national product.

According to the two companies, Cameron and NanoMech engineers have been working together for the past 18 months to move a solution forward, which has its origin with Dr. Ajay Malshe and the University of Arkansas through National Science Foundation funded research.

Cameron, a global leader in the valve and flow equipment industry, provides advanced mechanical valves which are the control gates of much of the world’s hydrocarbon supply chain for both oil and gas. These valves come under tremendous pressure and extreme environmental conditions and are complex mechanical devices that deliver mission-critical functions where friction and wear challenges their reliability.

NanoMech’s patent-pending, macro-molecular nano-manufactured solution, TriboTuff, reduces friction to near zero for the first time in history, driving performance of machines and vehicles up, while significantly decreasing the amount of fossil fuel used.

Company leaders say the breakthrough technology can be expanded through blending into many lubrication products as a drop-in concentrate solution for hundreds of applications for the oil and gas sector economy.

John Bartos, VP Development and Technology of Cameron, said, “Cameron has always strived to provide leading edge innovations to our marketplace and customers that contribute to our goal of delivering the best, most reliable and durable flow related equipment for the global oil and gas industry. It has been a pleasure to work with NanoMech on such an important breakthrough innovation that can provide Cameron increased competitive performance on our industry leading valves and flow products.”

James Phillips, CEO of NanoMech, added, “We appreciate the support of Gov. Beebe and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission in providing us continued assistance to advance the nGlide technology platform to commercial status and full scale production in various products such as TriboTuff, resulting in a tremendous technology advance as well as creating more knowledge jobs at our Springdale manufacturing plant and laboratories. The partnership with Cameron has helped fast-forward our nGlide innovation into the largest industry in the world.”