What is a Abrasion tester?

A wear tester is a type of material tester that measures the wear characteristics at that time by pressing the mating material against the test piece and moving it. In material tests such as tensile tests and bending tests, the physical and mechanical properties are determined by the magnitude of the applied load, whereas in the wear test, the shape of the mating material for applying frictional force to the test piece and Different characteristics will appear depending on how the load is applied and the test environment. Therefore, there are various types of wear testers, such as those that reciprocate the mating material in a straight line and those that rotate it. There are also devices that can set environments that are close to actual usage conditions, such as wet / dry conditions and temperature.

There are generally two types of friction testing machines: rotary and reciprocating. Both are classified into three subtypes: point contact type, line contact type, and surface contact type.

Point contact type:
There are two types of point contact types: ball-on-plate and ball-on-disc. In these methods, the "ball" represents the spherical counterpart material, the "disk" is a disk made of the material to be tested, and the "plate" is a plate made of the material to be tested. If the test object is a disk, it is rotated while measuring the friction coefficient, and if it is a plate, the friction coefficient is measured by reciprocating motion.

Line contact type:
There are two types of line contact type: block-on-ring type and pin block type. In the block-on-ring method, the friction coefficient is measured by pressing a block-shaped test object against the side of a cylindrical mating material. In the pin block method, a pin-shaped test object is sandwiched between a pair of block-shaped mating materials, and the friction coefficient is measured by rotating the pin inside.

Surface contact type:
Surface contact types include block-on-plate, pin-on-disk, and thrust cylinder types. In this method, the "pin" refers to the cylindrical mating material. In the thrust cylinder method, the friction coefficient is measured by pressing the end face of a cylindrical mating material against a flat test object.

Application of Abrasion tester

１．Automotive Parts – Brake pads, tires, and clutch components are tested for wear resistance to ensure they perform effectively over time under various conditions, such as friction and heat.
２．Industrial Equipment – Parts like gears, bearings, and valves are subjected to wear tests to assess their longevity and performance in machinery that operates under constant friction and pressure.
３．Footwear – Shoe soles, especially for sports or outdoor shoes, are tested for durability and resistance to abrasion, ensuring they last longer and provide better grip on various surfaces.

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