Experimental evaluation of friction between contacting discs for the simulation of gear contact

Instant gear contact can be simulated with contacting discs, which provides steady operating conditions and eliminates most of the dynamics and manufacturing tolerances involved in real gears, resulting in an accurately controlled contact condition. A high-pressure twin-disc test device was developed, where loading and rolling velocity can be varied continuously. It is equipped with disc bulk temperature, mean contact resistance and friction moment measurements. The test discs were grinded transversal to the disc rolling direction with proper crowning corresponding to the real gear flank properties. The test device was applied by studying the friction behaviour against the slide-to-roll ratio at different contact pressures, rolling velocities and surface roughness. The measurements were performed using mineral base oil in the range of operation conditions often used in industrial gears. In general, the measured friction coefficient behaviour correlates with earlier published results and is logical with measured bulk temperature and mean contact resistance. The limiting shear stress of the lubricant has an essential role in friction behaviour. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.