Time and Costs Optimized Performance Evaluation Tests of Alternative Shaft-Bushing Concepts

The present case-study was aimed at evaluating and comparing the frictional properties (friction and wear) of alternative concepts for a shaft-bushing component in comparison to the actually used benchmark system. Through the use of a specially designed shaft-bushing tribology labor-sized test setup in combination with a high-precision modular tribometer, the overall performance of alternative concepts were evaluated and compared. Benchmark shafts consisted of nitro-carburized and oxidized bearing steel and benchmark bushings were made of sintered steel. The investigated alternative concepts consisted of shafts with a different thermal pre-treatment against benchmark bushings; benchmark shafts against surface modified bushings; and lubricated benchmark bushings (instead of lubricated shafts) with two different lubrication times before testing. For each concept under study, 3 performance tests were performed in order to assess the reproducibility of the results obtained. The most promising alternative component concepts identified through this labor-sized model screen test were then field tested by IMS Gear and the obtained results were in accordance with the labor test results.