Seal Tribometer DITRI
The DITRI seal tribometer has been developed to measure the friction and wear behavior of seal material specimens within a lubricated contact. For that, the specimen is pressed onto a rotating cylinder. Using different cylinders, the influence of different surface structures can also be investigated.
Mode of operation
The test rig consists of a steel cylinder driven by an electric motor. A specimen is pressed onto this cylinder by weights placed on a lever. A force measurement arm records the friction force caused by the relative movement between specimen and cylinder.
Operational parameters and spec-ifications
Sealing specimens with a diameter of 5 mm and a length of 40 mm are used as standard. With the drive currently installed, relative speeds of up to 30 mm/s can be set in the sealing contact. The standard lubricant, an HLP 46 mineral oil, can be replaced in order to compare the effect of different lubricants. In addition, cylinders with different surfaces can be used to investigate the influence of surface structures on friction and wear.
Results
With the force sensor built into the force measurent arm, the frictional force can be recorded during operation. By setting different speeds and accelerations, both Stribeck curves and steady-state friction forces can be determined.
After the test, the cross section and the surface can be measured using optical methods. Both the change in roughness and the macroscopic change in geometry can be observed this way.