!%Bruker Corp.%! of Billerica, Mass., is set to acquire Center for Tribology Inc. (CETR), a metrology instrumentation maker in Campbell, Calif. Tribology covers the physical effects of surface-to-surface contact, including wear, friction and lubrication. CETR’s products help characterize nano-, micro- and macromechanical and tribological properties of materials under harsh environmental conditions. Its instruments are used for fundamental materials research in academic labs, where they have led to breakthroughs in studies of thin films, and they are used in industrial plants for quality control. The transaction is expected to close at the end of the third quarter of 2011.