Twist Compression and Four-Ball Test Device Redesign

Abstract

In countless industries and applications, lubricants and their combinations with additives are vitally important to machine performance, functionality, and safety. Two industrial tests that are used to study lubricants in various environments and scenarios are the Four-Ball Test and the Twist Compression Test. Each test involves applying a normal load to a lubricated surface and turning a tool against the surface at varying speeds to measure lubricant response and conditions at seizure. This project serves to combine the two tests into a single, safe, and interchangeable machine with the speed capability of a Four-Ball Test and the loading capability of a Twist Compression Test. This design will also incorporate measurement of the environmental conditions around the lubricant, as well as a robust data acquisition system with the capability to control turning speed, lubricant temperature, and test volume relative humidity.