For an updated project description, click on the following link for the Project Readiness Package.

Dr. Iglesias is a faculty member in Mechanical Engineering, whose research focuses on wear and friction of materials, metallic and polymer matrix composites, nanostructured materials, and the use of ionic liquids and liquid crystals as lubricants or additive of lubricants. Her current research plan is to utilize her experience in tribology and ionic liquids to develop new lubricants and surface treatments or coatings to improve the wear resistance of gearboxes and bearings of both land-based and off-shore wind turbines. To aid her current research plan, Dr. Iglesias desires a reciprocating sliding contact friction test rig that will be used to test various metals at various loads, sliding frequencies and stroke under dry and lubricated (with oil and grease) conditions. The basic geometry of the contact is ball-on-plate, but other geometries can be accommodated by using a range of simple clamping fixtures such as pin-on-plate and cylinder-on-plate. A linear displacement between the ball and plate specimen, perpendicular to the contact, is induced by a sliding sample table while the the normal force which is applied through a single point of contact in vertical with the ball. This normal force is to be kept constant during testing while the friction force is continuously measured and stored. Plenty of off-the-shelf friction testers exist with this configuration however the cost are way out of budget due to an excess of features which aren’t desired. A similar friction tester exists in Dr. Iglesias’s lab, however this test rig, rotates the specimen.

The goal of this project is to design the upper half of the friction tester, the armature subsystem. This subsystem has the purpose of providing a constant and accurate vertical normal force through a single point of contact. This normal force must be variable up to 20N with a 0N load release, aka resting force. This means the weight of the armature must not effect or add to desired normal force. The subsystem must be able to measure, store and display the friction force and the normal force which is being applied to the plate specimen during testing. The armature must be fully functional and securely attach to the reciprocating system which is being designed and developed in parallel by the end of MSD. The friction tester must conform to multiple ASTM standards, ASTM-G-133-05, ASTM G-181, ASTM –D-5706-05, and ASTM-D-5707-05.

Rotating Friction Tester - Current State

Project Name

Friction Tester Armature Subsystem

Project Number

P15660

Start Term

2141

End Term

2145

Faculty Guide

Gary Werth, gdwddm@rit.edu

Primary Customer

Dr. Iglesias Victoria, pxieme@rit.edu

Sponsor (financial support)

Dr. Iglesias Victoria, pxieme@rit.edu

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Planning & Execution

Gate Reviews

Problem Definition

Systems Design

Detailed Design

Build, Test, Document

Publications & Presentations