Experimental Investigation of the Influence of Machining Condition on the Contact Sliding Behavior of Metals

In many instances machined parts experience sliding motion while in contact with a counter surface. The performance of the contacting parts depends on their friction and wear characteristics. In this work the effects of the machining condition on the tribological performance of steel, brass, and duralumin are investigated. For steel, it is shown that the friction coefficient value remains about the same whereas the rate of wear varies as the cutting condition is altered. The friction coefficients for brass and duralumin were lower than that of steel and their tribological properties seem to be less sensitive to the machining condition. In conclusion, it is emphasized that the machining condition directly influences the surface integrity which in turn affects the tribological performance of the machined parts, and therefore, the machining condition for parts that experience contact sliding motion should be optimized for best tribological performance in addition to dimensional accuracy and surface roughness.