About Us – Southern African Institute of Tribology

History

Our journey

In 1983 a group of industrialists and researchers, concerned with the extent of tribological wear in South Africa, convened and formed the ‘Wear Society’. Following a number of presentations on a wide range of subjects, the South African Institute of Tribology was formally launched on 29 March 1985. From these modest and early beginnings, the SAIT has grown into a significant and active member of the Southern African engineering community.

Having established technical transfer through technical meetings, mini-seminars and plant visits, the main objective of SAIT was put into operation by the introduction of training courses, on the principles and technology of lubrication and materials. The knowledge gained by over 3 500 students, who have attended the courses, has been put into practice back in industry.

In addition to the training courses, the SAIT holds regular tribology conferences and seminars on topics of interest in the lubrication and materials fields. These seminars have proved to be of great interest and benefit to industry.

The SAIT is a member of the International Tribology Council (ITC) based in the UK and is affiliated with the USA based Society for Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE). The SAIT is committed to improving and expanding its services to meet the changing needs of Southern Africa.