Résumé
Understanding and modelling the evolution of third-bodies remains a central challenge in tribology. Existing numerical approaches often target small-scale phenomena, making it difficult to relate their predictions to macroscopic tribological behaviour. In this work, a novel hybrid framework is proposed, in which an original Cellular Automata (CA) model is coupled with a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT)–based spectral solver. The CA scheme enables a fast and explicit description of third-body flows within Berthier’s tribological circuit, while the FFT solver provides the local mechanical fields that drive their evolution. This approach offers, for the first time, a unified modelling of third-body migration, generation, and removal within a macroscopic contact. A preliminary proof of concept is presented, relying on simple yet modular evolution rules. Despite its simplifying assumptions, the framework reproduces key qualitative trends of friction evolution observed experimentally, including the distinct responses of interfaces with and without third-body, the emergence of a running-in phase, and the subsequent stabilization of friction. These behaviours are captured with competitive computation times, highlighting the efficiency of the method. This work demonstrates the potential of CA–FFT coupling for solid lubrication modelling. Future developments will aim at refining the third-body transport rules, performing systematic parameter identification, and incorporating additional physics such as thermal, environmental, and physico-chemical effects, to further enhance the predictive capability of the framework.