PROCESS AND INERTIAL MICRO-TRIBOMETER FOR STUDYING ROLLING FRICTION

摘要

The invention relates to a process and an inertial micro-tribometer with 3 micro-balls which permits the investigation of the phenomenon of friction by determining the friction coefficient in a single rolling micro-contact, using the inertia effect of a disc engaged in a rotation motion. According to the invention, the process consists in determining the stopping time of an upper disc (6) placed on three micro-balls (3, 4 and 5) rolling on some races cut into both the upper disc (6) and the lower disc (1), which have previously been brought to about the same speed, by engaging the lower disc into a rotation motion in the horizontal plane, using a rotating table (2), and exploiting the inertia effect upon rotation of the upper disc (6). The micro-tribometer claimed by the invention consists of a rotating table (2) on which there is placed a disc (1) provided with a race wherein there are placed some equally spaced micro-balls (3, 4 and 5), on top of which there is placed another disc (6) having a race similar to the race of the disc (1).