Scientists do not completely comprehend the principal cause of wear and friction between two surfaces at the molecular level. The nanoindenter-quartz microbalance mounted on a negative-stiffness vibration isolator. Image Credit: St. Olaf College Whenever you are trying to design a micromechanical system, it is likely to include the fundamental machine parts of gears, gimbals, hinges, pistons and suspended beams that flex. Brian Borovsky, Associate Professor, Physics Department at St. Olaf College Borovsky continues, "Basic motions, which are the essence of mechanics, rely on these materials...