Understanding Wear Performance: New Mechanical Engineering Laboratory Design

Mechanical Engineering Department is promoting development of new laboratory experiments that are introducing engineering concepts and testing procedures advancing real life problems to replace gradually older labs and equipment.The objective of this lab is to recognize the effects of harsh environmental conditions on different materials' surface, to select and recommend a material for an outdoor application.Students are investigating different forms of wear by using testing procedures able to simulate environmental conditions in accelerated modes.The corresponding wear tests are performed using an oscillating sand abrasion tester (ASTM F735) and a reciprocating abrasion tester (ISO 1518).Different sand qualities (silica or alumina) and tips (abrasion grades) are used for evaluating the abrasion wear performance.This paper is reporting the work in progress of the new lab development.The lab conception involves establishing the equipment testing conditions and specifications of: applied load, testing time, and number of cycles for lab setting conditions.The change in roughness profile of samples under investigation and the wear results is assessed by profilometry (KLA, Tencor) and electronic balance.Optical microscopy images are generated to evaluate the wear tracks.Current laboratory purpose is to offer guidance for materials selection, optimization and to advance students "ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze, interpret data and use engineering judgement to draw conclusions" (ABET, Outcome 6).