Modeling of worn surface topography formed in a low wear process

Two batches of experiments are described in this paper. The first tests were conducted on a reciprocating tester. Specimens were cut from cylinder liners from gray cast iron of hardness 2128 MPa after honing or plateau honing. They co-acted with counter-specimens made from chromium-coated steel C45. Lubricating fluid was supplied to the contact zone. The second tests were carried out on a block-on ring tester. Stationary block prepared from cast iron with a hardness value of 5356 MPa was ground. Rotating rings made from steel of 2992 MPa hardness were modified by a burnishing technique to obtain surfaces with dimples. The tested sliding pair was lubricated. The abrasive wear resistance tests were conducted under artificially increased dustiness conditions. Two types of worn surface topography modeling were used. For cylinder liners tests random one-directional Gaussian surface topography was imposed on the base surface (after honing). Worn surfaces of textured steel rings were modeled by simulation of actions of abrasive particles. After each kind of simulation selected parameters of measured and modeled surface textures were compared. We found that measured and simulated surfaces were correctly matched in the majority of cases.