Optimal testing parameters on the wear behaviour of various steels

The wear resistance model for three types of steels was developed in terms of abrasive grain size, applied load and sliding distance using the Taguchi method. Wear tests were carried out using a pin-on-disc type of apparatus under different conditions. The orthogonal array, signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio and analysis of variance are employed to investigate the optimal testing parameters. The experimental results demonstrate that the type of materials was the major parameter among the controllable factors that influence the weight loss of steels. For AISI 1340 steel, the abrasive grain size exerted the greatest effect on the wear, followed by sliding distance. The applied load had a much lower effect. For AISI 1020 and 5150 steels, however, the sliding distance was found to have an effective on the weight loss. The optimal combination of the testing parameters could be determined. A good agreement between the predicted and actual wear resistance was observed within ±10%.