Design of an abrasive wear test module

Abstract

Abrasive wear test is an important research technique in quantifying the coefficient of friction and natural state of a material. There are many types of abrasive wear modules available in the market which can carry out a three-body wear abrasive test. However, this design is limited to a CETR tribometer, which is of concern in this project. The complications of three-body abrasion are more widely seen in many practical situations. The introduction of third particle such as sand into two-body abrasion has limited the lifespan of many materials.

In the school’s interest of researching the tribological studies of a three-body abrasive wear test, this project aims to design and develop a device that is able to fit onto the existing tribometer. The project aims to fulfill the specifications of three-body abrasion in order to investigate the wear rate under a three-body condition.

This report will analyze possible conceptual designs for a three-body abrasive wear module as well as detail the designing process. At the final stage, fabrication of a prototype will be carried out to test the functionality of the design. Finally, results will also be discussed to examine the effectiveness of the design.