The combination of surface treatment and contact mechanics is an important one. The surface of a component is usually the most important engineering factor. While it is in use it is often the surface of a work-piece that is subjected to wear and corrosion. The complexity of the tribological properties of materials and the economic aspects of friction and wear justify an increasing research effort. To an increasing degree, therefore, the search is on for surface modification techniques, which can increase the wear resistance of materials. Wear resistance is a property, not of materials but of systems, since the material of the work-piece always wears against some other medium. It is its relation to its environment - e.g. lubrication, speed of sliding or rotation - that determines the wear resistance of the material in a given construction.

This book contains most of the papers presented at the Eighth International Conference on Computer Methods and Experimental Measurements for Surface and Contact Mechanics . This series of conferences is aimed at encouraging international collaboration among the participants and the exchange of new ideas. Various new developments are highlighted, both from an experimental and computational viewpoint. Special emphasis is given to the application of advanced theoretical and experimental approaches.