A new universal test for tribological evaluation

A new test for assessing the friction and wear properties of materials and lubricants is presented. Two elongated test specimens, preferably bars or rods, are used. The orientation of the test specimens and their relative motion (sliding or rolling or a combination of both) during testing is arranged in such a way that the contact spot moves along a contact path on each specimen, and each spot along this path on one specimen will only make contact to one spot on the other specimen, and vice verse, see Fig. 1. By contact spot is here meant the area overwhich the contact load is distributed.