Statistical approach for experimental analysis of sliding wear behaviour of bearing materials

Starting from the technical and economic need to evaluate the operating variables that significantly affect wear of bearing materials (AISI 52100) in detail, statistical methods have been employed. The most important advantages of the application of mathematical statistics in the study of complicated tribological systems are, among others, the complete and reliable information obtained for both the effects of the main factors and the existing interaction between factors and also the reduction in experimental expenditure as a whole. In this study, a fractional factorial experimental design was implemented and analyzed using ANOVA table. The experiments have been realized according to special factorial designs that have varied the levels of five important cause variables. Within the confines of a ball-on-disk test rig, effective factors and interaction effects were quantified and discussed.