Lubrication film thickness calculation from contact resistance measurement in point contact

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to solve this problem. Different lubrication states play a huge role in friction, wear and service life of parts. To ensure the reliability and power of the internal combustion engine, it is necessary to ensure that the friction pair has been in the best lubrication state. One of the key problems of lubrication state and transformation characteristics is to achieve real-time measurement of lubrication state. Design/methodology/approach – Previous studies show that the contact resistance method is very effective in the qualitative analysis of lubrication state test. The circuit is simple and does not require expensive test equipment. But this method could not accurately reflect the film thickness ratio. Through a combination of experimental and theoretical analysis methods, the limitation of the contact resistance method could be overcome. Findings – The relationship between the point contact film-thickness ratio and contact resistance was established, then the film-t...