Metrology to Assess the Durability and Function of Engineered Surfaces

Short Name: MADES, Project Number: IND11
I N D11
Coordinator

Making measurements of engineered surfaces: Reducing wear and friction in components


Friction and wear in industrial processes wastes energy and damages materials, increasing costs and reducing productivity. Low-friction, low-wear coatings can be applied to machinery and components to reduce friction and wear. A number of industries, including transport, energy, manufacturing and mineral extraction, are using these ‘engineered surfaces’ to improve process efficiency, but wider use is limited by a lack of techniques for the accurate measurement of very-low levels of friction and wear.

 

This project developed methods to accurately measure low-level friction and wear on engineered surfaces, including:

  • Techniques to measure nanoscale wear, accurate to one billionth of a metre.
  • Stable methods to make long-term measurements of friction on low-friction coatings.
  • Methods to measure temperature and chemical changes at the points where industrial surfaces meet and interact.  

The new measurement techniques have been described in five Good Practice Guides, to ensure they can be used effectively by industrial users, and have contributed to new CEN, ISO and ASTM industrial standards. A number of the techniques have been adopted by instrument manufacturers to develop new commercial measurement devices, including a modified ruby sensor that makes simultaneous measurements of surface friction and temperature. The techniques are also being used by the International Energy Agency in its Advanced Materials for Transportation programme, to explore the use of engineered surfaces in vehicle engines to increase efficiency and reduce emissions. Over the longer term, the new measurement methods developed will be used to make advances in surface engineering, leading to further reductions in friction and wear, more efficient manufacturing and higher-performance industrial products. 

Links
  • EMRP Industry theme impact case studies
Project website
Publications
Contact mechanics and tribology of polymer composites
2014

Journal of Applied Polymer Science

Roughness and contamination characterizations of worn surfaces
2013

Proceedings of the 16th International Congress of Metrology

Zero wear (Null Verschleiß)
2013

Tribologie und Schmierungstechnik

Quantitative analysis of nano-wear on DLC coatings by AFM
2013

CIRP Annals - Manufacturing Technology

Quantitative assessment of nano wear of DLC coated samples using AFM and optical confocal microscopy
2013

Proceedings of Euspen Conference, 13th International Conference of the european society for precision engineering and nanotechnology, At Berlin

Other Participants
Alicona Imaging GmbH (Austria)
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen - Nürnberg (Germany)
Teknologian tutkimuskeskus VTT (Finland)