Clive Hamer, co-founder of PCS Instruments, has been at the heart of the company’s engineering vision since its inception. With a background rooted in multidisciplinary engineering and a lifelong fascination with tribology, Clive helped shape PCS into a business known for precision measurement, thoughtful design, and instruments that have become trusted benchmarks across industry and academia.

As PCS Instruments prepares to expand its presence in the United States, Clive reflects on the origins of the company, the evolution of tribology testing, and the principles that continue to guide innovation today. His perspective highlights not only how PCS began, but why its engineering-led philosophy remains central to supporting customers as new applications and markets emerge.

‘PCS Instruments was created in response to a clear and practical need within the lubrication industry. Engine lubricant formulators were looking for simple, reliable, and repeatable test instruments that could realistically simulate tribological conditions found in real applications. From the very beginning, the goal was not just to build equipment, but to give engineers meaningful insight into how moving components behave under real-world stresses — something that remains just as important today as it was when the company first began.

Tribology testing continues to play a critical role in innovation because almost any system involving moving parts includes some form of tribological contact. As industries place increasing emphasis on efficiency, durability, and sustainability, understanding friction, wear, and lubrication performance has become essential. Tribology testing provides the data needed to improve these factors, helping engineers design products that perform better, last longer, and operate more efficiently.

What has always differentiated PCS Instruments is a design philosophy rooted in precision from the outset. Rather than adding accuracy at the end of the process, every measurement system is developed with accuracy and repeatability built into the initial design. This approach enables highly optimised measurement of tribological parameters such as film thickness, friction, and wear. Through innovative design and advanced control systems, PCS has consistently delivered instruments that provide reliable, meaningful data - something customers depend on for critical research and development work.

For many years, PCS has supported customers across the United States directly from the UK, building strong relationships through technical expertise and responsive support. Establishing a dedicated US presence represents a natural evolution of that commitment. A local team allows PCS to work even more closely with customers, providing faster technical

support alongside deeper guidance rooted in decades of tribology knowledge - an area where customers increasingly look to PCS not only for equipment, but for insight.

Looking ahead, one of the most exciting aspects of the company’s future is the continual expansion into new markets and applications. When PCS first began, tribology was largely associated with automotive engineering. Today, those applications extend across manufacturing, transport, energy, and emerging areas such as biotribology - a field that barely existed when the company was founded. Each new application brings fresh technical challenges and opportunities to rethink how tribology testing can support innovation.

From a technical standpoint, PCS instruments have evolved significantly over the years, particularly in the advancement and complexity of control systems. Despite these developments, the core design principle has never changed: to create the best possible engineering solution without unnecessary complication. That balance between sophistication and usability remains central to how new systems are developed.

There is a particular sense of pride in seeing PCS instruments become embedded within industry language itself. In many research papers, the names of certain PCS systems are referenced as if they were generic test methods - a reflection of how deeply they have influenced tribology testing standards worldwide.

For those involved in building the company, tribology has always been a uniquely compelling field. It draws on almost every aspect of engineering - mechanics, materials science, fluid dynamics, control systems, and chemistry - making it an ideal space for solving complex, multidisciplinary problems. That constant technical challenge, combined with the evolving needs of industry, continues to drive innovation within PCS.

Over the next three to five years, customers can expect continued development of the most innovative machines in the market and an even closer partnership in providing tribology knowledge to support product development. As new industries adopt tribological thinking and new challenges emerge, PCS remains focused on delivering precise, reliable tools that help engineers understand performance at a deeper level and ultimately build better products.’