What Is Abrasion Testing
Abrasion testing is also known as rub testing and this is the type of test that businesses perform to determine the quality of their product. Rub testing lets the business know how long the product will last before wear and tear take effect. Rub testing is done across a variety of different industries and is very beneficial for companies that offer warranties on their products. It is very beneficial when a company can truly understand when their product will need to be replaced and the product life cycle. The abrasion test is performed by rubbing a material that is a specific weight at a specific speed in order to determine at what point the material begins to wear. This test is used routinely in the textile industry because it helps the manufacturer to determine the strength of a fabric and how long the fabric will last against normal wear and tear conditions.
When it comes to textile or clothing companies there are certain areas that they want to perform the abrasion test on. These areas are called highpoint areas and they are the knee and elbow areas. The furniture industry is another industry where the abrasion test is routinely performed. Furniture companies usually do the testing on seating and bedding products to see how long before the normal wear and tear starts to take effect on the product. When it comes to abrasion testing calibration can be made so that paints, rubber, metal, plastic, and paper can all be tested. Abrasion test gives companies the confidence and the peace of mind to stand behind their products that they have made claims of being durable.
The Different Types Of Abrasion Tests
There are many different types of abrasion tests that are performed for many different reasons. A few of the most commonly used abrasion tests are the Taber abrasion test, custom abrasion & wear testing, block-on-ring wear testing, and pin-on-disk wear testing.
The Taber abrasion test
When a Taber abrasion test is performed a disk-shaped specimen is put into constant contact with an abrasive wheel. The force and cycles used to determine the wear are predetermined. This procedure the Taber abrasion test is quick and inexpensive.
Custom abrasion & wear testing
Individuals usually use the custom abrasion test when there is a non-standard specimen that they would like to test. The element or specimen that is being tested is usually done in real-time for real-life stimulation. If a tester is looking for a specific data recognition for the material being tested then the customer abrasion test is the best solution for obtaining these results.
Block-on-ring wear testing
Block-on-Ring wear testing is the test that is used for determining volume loss on the material. The tester is looking for volume loss that can occur both on the block and on the ring. The test is performed by sliding the test material in an abrasive motion against a metallic ring. The block on ring wear test is used in the transportation industry, manufacturing industry, aerospace industry, and the oil and gas industry. It helps these industries to determine the adhesive metal-on-metal wear rate.
Pin-on-disk wear testing
Pin-on-Disk wear testing is used for comparing the tribological properties of two materials. The properties that you are looking to compare are the frictional force coefficients and the wear rates. The test is performed by one material being machine into a pin and the other into a disk. The pin-on-disk testing is used a lot in the medical and manufacturing sectors to determine what materials can be coupled appropriately.
Many different industries use rub testing for many different reasons. Because the reasons vary there are many different types of rub tests available. At the end of the day no matter what industry the rub test is being performed the main goal of the company is to put out a quality product.