An experimental study on tribological performance and surface characteristics of lubricated point contact

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of operating parameters (load, speed, and temperature) on the tribological performance and surface characteristics (skewness and kurtosis) of lubricated point contacts. For this purpose, experimental studies were carried out on a four-ball wear tester, using the Taguchi design of experiments concept. The tribo-contact performance in terms of contact friction and wear is monitored and recorded. The used test specimens thereafter were examined using the microscope and 3D surface profilometer at the end of the experiments. The combined effects of operating parameters on tribological performance and surface characteristics have been analyzed using the statistical technique of analysis of variance. Further, the composite desirability optimization method associated with response surface methodology has been employed to develop the regression equations in order to predict the contact performance characteristics for any given combination of operating conditions. The study undertaken reveals that the operating parameters significantly influence the tribo-performance and surface characteristics of lubricated point contacts. The developed regression equations are expected to offer an effective analytical tool for accurately predicting the performance characteristics of lubricated point contacts.