A Representative Fretting Wear Test for Wire Rope Internal Contacts: What Are Key Lubrication and Tribological Parameters?

Summary

A lab-scale fretting wear test was designed to reproduce inter-wire contacts within wire ropes. The tribological phenomena produced in these tests were comparable to those seen in ropes in service. A range of lubricants were tested; some that were wire rope lubricants, others that were general-purpose. When grease lubrication was used, statistical analysis showed that the base oil viscosity and various parameters relating to the run-in phase of the test were the most significant predictors of long-term wear. From this work, it is understood that lubricant supply to the contact and the influence of the lubricant on the run-in of the contact are significant factors in increasing rope life.

Author(s): C. J. Dyson, R. J. Chittenden, M. Priest, M. Fox and W. A. Hopkins