Results of tests for abrasive wear on a VIM LTDS installation

A number of well-known methods of accelerated testing for relative wear resistance are considered including a procedure based on the Brinell-Howarth method for laboratory studies and implemented on a IM-01 facility (designed at WISHOM) in which a powder abrasive is used. The shortcomings of those methods are discussed. A new VIM LTDP installation is developed in which an abrasive tape (320 mm and 15 mm in length and width, respectively) with a grain size of P60 is used as an abrasive material. The degree of wear was determined by a decrease of the sample mass using weighing on a balance before and after testing with an accuracy of 0.0001 g. The test results were obtained as a relative wear resistance e equal to the ratio of the values of the wear resistance of the test and standard samples. Consideration of the relative wear resistance makes it possible to increase the accuracy of the results due to the exclusion of the effect of changes in external parameters which determine the wear rate during testing. The installation ensures accelerated testing of the samples, i.e., the time for testing one sample is about 5 min. The structure and the grain size of the working body, the load value in the contact zone and the speed of interaction between the sample and tool are preserved. The use of an abrasive tape with different grain size provides for application of the unit to a wide range of tasks using samples without any preliminary grinding, but with the obligatory preliminary cleaning of the samples from slags and large particles after application of wear-resistant coatings.