CET bags patent for integrated test bench to assess the frictional behaviour of materials

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

The College of Engineering Thiruvananthapuram (CET) has obtained a patent for the invention of an integrated test bench to assess the frictional behaviour of materials.

Holding much promise for quality checks in the automobile industry, the friction testing device can simulate the abrasive wear of materials including those used for brake discs and the piston-cylinder arrangement.

The research work that led to the invention was jointly undertaken by Assistant Professor N. Sasi and Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) scientist Paul G. Panicker (a former postgraduate student of CET) who were guided by Professor V.R. Rajeev and former Professor N. Asok Kumar at CET’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.

The tribo-tester (a device used to simulate friction and wear between surfaces) finds relevance in its capability of characterising friction and abrasive wear behaviour of advanced materials in dual sliding modes viz., rotary and reciprocating sliding modes.

The rotary sliding mode could be used to simulate the wear and friction nature of materials that are employed for grinding or brake disc applications, while the reciprocating sliding mode is touted to be useful in assessing the quality of materials used for piston-cylinder application in vehicles. The unique device can function in a wide range of operating parameters such as varying loads and speeds.

According to Prof. Sasi, it can also be used to simulate the extent of wear and tear that could be incurred by materials used for other machines including soil excavators, mechanised agriculture tools and drilling machines.

He added the device would prove beneficial for postgraduate students, research scholars as well as companies that are engaged in the production of various equipment.