Comprehensive tribological analysis of AA6061 aluminum alloy and AISI 1060 steel: Insights from novel and conventional testing methods

Abstract Wear is a critical issue in industrial systems, emerging not as an intrinsic material property but as a consequence of complex, interdependent factors. AA6061 aluminum alloy and AISI 1060 steel, widely employed in engineering applications, are particularly vulnerable to wear-induced degradation. This study presents an in-depth experimental investigation to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms governing tribological interactions. A novel wear-testing apparatus, fabricated via horizontal lathe machining, was utilized for dry and lubricated tribological assessments, with results benchmarked against conventional tribometer-based methodologies. The experimental matrix examined the effects of initial surface roughness, applied load (25–100 N), sliding velocity (0.30–0.50 m/s), and wear track diameter (4–10 mm) on contact temperature, volumetric wear loss, wear rate, and friction coefficient. Worn surfaces were analyzed using optical microscopy and SEM-EDS. Findings reveal that tribological responses are significantly influenced by morphological attributes and testing configurations, with nonlinear parameter interactions. A comparative analysis showed a 15.35 % relative error in wear rate between lathe-and tribometer-derived data, highlighting differences between controlled laboratory and real-world conditions. Microhardness profiling identified subsurface deformation regimes: AISI 1060 steel exhibited hardness reduction to ≈55 μm depth before stabilization, whereas AA6061 displayed a rapid initial decline to 140 μm, followed by gradual attenuation. This study underscores the potential for wear mitigation through parameter optimization and provides a methodological framework for extrapolating laboratory wear simulations to industrial environments, bridging the gap between academic research and practical engineering challenges.