Tribometers and tribollogical tests

Cetim, like many other laboratories, is fully committed to increasing competitiveness in today's globalized industry. In the current economic climate, this competitiveness is highly dependent on productivity and product quality, which for companies means improvements in product quality in a shorter time. In a mechanical manufacturing process, from metal forming to final product assembly, for example, this increase in throughput often leads to accelerated tool wear, resulting in breakdowns due to seized bearings or ball joints, which are all the more serious the higher the production rate.

To increase the reliability of frictional parts and tool life, engineers often propose solutions in terms of design optimization, choice of materials and surface treatments, and lubrication. The safety and economic stakes of machines often require prior validation by bench testing before integrating the new solution into the system, particularly in the transport and power generation sectors. Choosing a tribological test method that is representative of the real system therefore becomes an essential step in the success of the whole project.

The aim of this article is to provide engineers and technicians with a comprehensive and structured overview of existing tribological tests, based on a classification of tests according to the needs of the various players in the industry. The presentation of selection approaches and measurement techniques is detailed through "typical" examples of tribometers. A table summarizing current tribological tests covers the vast majority of tests by type of contact.