In the automotive industry the method mainly applies to the development & testing of wear parts and lubricants 

TLA is very convenient for studying wear on cam noses, tappets, valves and seats, piston rings, cylinder sleeves, crankshaft bearings, gears, turbochargers, and any other part undergoing wear.

Various engine operating conditions, as well as the impact of various lubricants/additives formulations can be compared within very short running times in the range of several hours.

The method is non-intrusive.  It reduces significantly engine running times and, consequently,  associated costs.

TLA also applies to the maintenance of industrial equipment in chemical and petrochemical plants for monitoring erosion/corrosion of critical components such as pumps, pipes, valves, etc.

New applications are also under development for studying of anti-wear properties of biomaterials (prosthetics made of polymer or ceramic materials).

Benefits of the method:

• Very high sensivity (up to 0.01 micrometer)
• Real time information on wear & corrosion
• No dismantling of parts
• Test parameters can be modified during a single measurement in order to study their impact on wear-rates
• Detectors are placed remotely and do not disturb the mechanical process
• Duration of the test is significantly reduced
• On-line visualisation on wear'

(abstract of a SAE paper on this topic available here)