The goal of most industrial work is to preserve or increase a revenue stream, whether that is from the sale of designed and manufactured products or the supply of energy or consumable products that are produced using mechanical systems. Industrial application of tribology in industry therefore tends to be more solution-focused than some academic research.
When applied to mechanical systems, tribology can form a valuable toolkit for deducing how critical interfaces really operate and the factors limiting their performance. In industry this capability can be applied to the design, investigation or operation (properly, preventative maintenance) of mechanical systems. To a greater or lesser extent, as "time is money" in industry, the emphasis is on acquiring the minimum essential understanding of a tribological situation within tight time and financial constraints.
From my experience, because of the relative significance of these factors, a little practical insight can be a lot more valuable in some industrial situations than the latest research. The challenge for industry is therefore how to deploy the "right" knowledge into the hands and minds of the people who can make use of it. While academics are rewarded for publishing their work, industrial people are more generally under pressure to keep their achievements confidential.
This is why industrial case studies of tribological analysis, design and investigation are important.
Here is one example of an online article I found recently, dealing with hydrodynamic lubrication of journal bearings.
Detect oil-film bearing failure
Please contribute your favourite examples to this discussion!