An innovative system for fretting wear testing under oscillating normal force

Material damage caused by fretting wear is of significant concern in many engineering applications. This paper describes the design and performance of a new machine for the laboratory investigation of fretting wear under oscillating normal force (fretting mode II). The test machine uses an electromagnetic actuator to impose an oscillating normal force between the contacting bodies at a constant force amplitude over a wide range of frequencies. The principle of the actuation mechanism and the fretting wear induced with this particular wear test configuration are outlined in detail. Normal force and electrical contact resistance were measured on-line during fretting mode LI wear tests. The performance of the wear test machine is illustrated by data obtained for different materials combinations, namely, hard materials, such as high-speed steel and (Ti,Al)N coatings oscillating against alumina ball counterbodies, and soft materials, such as a tin coating oscillating against the same. In general, wearing of the counterbodies was observed in the slip region. It has been observed that hard coatings and bulk ceramics are prone to fretting fatigue cracking. The evolution of electrical contact resistance in the case of the self-mated soft tin coatings tested under fretting mode II conditions is also reported.