New test rig for real contact area
date: 19.04.2021
A custom built test rig for real contact area determination in contacts with relative motion using an optical method.
We have developed a custom built test rig, which allows the determination and research of real contact area in sliding contacts using an optical method. The test rig will be used to conduct in-situ real contact area measurements under different loading and sliding motion conditions, which will enable us to directly the observe the evolution of real contact area of different materials and give us a better insight into the contact behaviour of multi-asperity contacts.
Specifications:
Contact: sample - sapphire glass
Motion: linear sliding motion (single direction or reciprocal)
Load: up to 450 N normal force and up to 120 N tangential
Speed: up to 2 mm/s
Sliding distance: 20 mm
Resolution: lateral resolution of contact image better than 1 μm