Research on ECM process of micro holes with internal features

Micro holes with internal features are widely used as spray holes and cooling holes nowadays, which are usually required to be with high aspect ratio and shape accuracy, as well as good surface quality. An electrochemical machining (ECM) process is presented to machine these micro holes with diameter <200 μm. A quantitative relation between micro-hole diameter and machining parameters including voltage, duty ratio and feedrate is obtained through orthogonal experiments. According to the designed shape of internal features, change rules of machining parameters for varied diameters in different depth are obtained, and then micro holes with internal features are shaped precisely. Taking reverse tapered hole as an example, ECM experiments by varying parameters of voltage, duty ratio and feedrate (called varying voltage machining, varying duty ratio machining and varying feedrate machining, respectively) are carried out. Micro holes with inlet diameter of 178 μm and taper angle of 1.05° are shaped on a 1.0 mm-thick workpiece of 18CrNi8. The deviation of inlet is <3 μm and the taper-angle error is <0.1° in varying voltage machining. The corresponding dimensional accuracy of taper angle is improved by 51% than that of varying duty ratio machining under the same efficiency. The machining efficiency of varying voltage machining is increased by 36% compared to the efficiency in varying feedrate machining. In addition, the micro holes with complex features of funnel shape and bamboo shape are machined.     

Micro-scale hole profile measurement using rotating wire probe and acoustic emission contact detection

The development of a new probing method to inspect the inner diameter of micro-scale holes is presented in this paper. This was accomplished by contact detection using acoustic emission with a Ø170 μm rotating wire probe tip. Contact is detected when the rotating probe approaches and impacts the hole’s inner surface. The effective diameter of the rotating probe is calibrated by using a high precision grade 0 Mitutoyo gauge block. The wire rotating probe used was fabricated with micro stainless steel wire and micro tubes. The probe’s effective diameter was compensated for in the measurement of the hole. The probe was used to measure the diameter and the roundness of micro-scale holes. Probes used in previous publications have different geometry than the probe in this paper and are used almost exclusively for external dimensions. Micro-scale holes of less than 1.0 mm in diameter and 10 mm in depth are successfully measured and the 3D profile is created accordingly. Also, the out-of-roundness values of each level spacing, 50 μm apart in height, are calculated.     

A long-stroke 3D contact scanning probe for micro/nano coordinate measuring machine

This paper presents a long-stroke contact scanning probe with high precision and low stiffness for micro/nano coordinate measuring machines (micro/nano CMMs). The displacements of the probe tip in 3D are detected by two plane mirrors supported by an elastic mechanism, which is comprised of a tungsten stylus, a floating plate and two orthogonal Z-shaped leaf springs fixed to the outer case. A Michelson interferometer is used to detect the vertical displacement of the mirror mounted on the center of the floating plate. An autocollimator based two dimensional angle sensor is used to detect the tilt of the other plane mirror located at the end of the arm of the floating plate. The stiffness and the dynamic properties are investigated by simulation. The optimal structural parameters of the probe are obtained based on the force-motion model and the constrained conditions of stiffness, measurement range and horizontal size. The results of the performance tests show that the probe has a contact force gradient within 0.5 mN/μm, a measuring range of (±20 μm), (±20 μm), and 20 μm, respectively, in X, Y and Z directions, and a measurement standard deviation of 30 nm. The feasibility of the probe has preliminarily been verified by testing the curved surface of a convex lens.     

Measurement and statistical analysis toward reproducibility validation of AZ4562 cylindrical microlenses obtained by reflow

This paper presents the statistical analysis applied into the shape of microlenses (MLs) for validating the high-reproducibility feature of their fabrication process. The MLs were fabricated with the AZ4562 photoresist, using photolithography and thermal reflow processes. Two types of MLs arrays were produced for statistical analysis purposes: the first with a cross-sectional diameter of 24 μm and the second with a cross-sectional diameter of 30 μm, and both with 5 μm spacing between MLs. In the case of 24 μm diameter arrays, the measurements showed a mean difference in diameter of 2.78 μm with a standard deviation (SD) of 0.22 μm (e.g., 2.78 ± 0.22 μm of SD) before the reflow, and 2.34 ± 0.35 μm of SD after the reflow. For the same arrays, the mean difference in height obtained was, comparatively to the 5.06 μm expected, 0.76 ± 0.10 μm of SD before the reflow and 1.91 ± 0.15 μm of SD after the reflow, respectively. A mean difference in diameter of 2.64 ± 0.41 μm of SD before the reflow, and 1.87 ± 0.34 μm of SD after the reflow was obtained for 30 μm diameter MLs arrays. For these MLs, a mean difference in height of 0.71 ± 0.12 μm of SD before the reflow and 2.24 ± 0.24 μm of SD after the thermal reflow was obtained, in comparison to the 5.06 μm of height expected to obtain. These results validate the requirement for reproducibility and opens good perspectives for applying this fabrication process on high-volume production of MLs arrays.     

Evaluation on 3D micro-ground profile accuracy of micro-pyramid-structured Si surface using an adaptive-orientation WLI measurement

According to the aperture of the objectives, surfaces with steep topographies greater than approximate 25° are difficult or unable to measure with white light interferometry. Hence, an adaptive-orientation measurement is proposed by adjusting the incidence angle from 51° to 21°. In this study, a micro-grinding with #3000 diamond wheel V-tip was employed to fabricate the micro-pyramid-structured Si surface with 142 μm in depth and 38 nm in surface roughness. The objective is to evaluate the micro-profile accuracy of micro-ground Si surface. First, the four micro-ground surfaces of micro-pyramid-structured surface were measured along the adaptive orientation with an incidence angle, respectively; then iterative closest point (ICP) matching was used to reconstruct the whole micro-ground surface with four adaptive-orientation measured point clouds; finally, 3D reconstruction error and characterized profile error were investigated. It is shown that the ICP matching with denoising and finishing is valid to register four adaptive-orientation measured point clouds for reconstructing an integrated micro-ground surface. Moreover, a decrease in incidence angle to measured surfaces leads to a decrease in 3D reconstruction error, an increase in valid top-topographic point number and a decrease in characterized profile error. It is confirmed that the adaptive-orientation measurement with 21° incidence angle may enhance 3D reconstruction accuracy by about 35%, valid top-topographic point number by about 3 times and characterized profile accuracy by about 38% against the traditional measurement, respectively. The micro-ground form error of 5.5 μm and the characterized profile error of 6.0 μm may be achieved, respectively, thus the micro-grinding is valid for the precision micro-fabrication of micro-structured surface.     

Wear behaviour of dental enamel at the nanoscale with a sharp and blunt indenter tip

Two different diamond nanoindenter tips, a rounded conical (～1200 nm radius) and a sharp cube corner (20–50 nm radius) were used to abrade bovine enamel. Square abraded areas (2 μm × 2 μm, 5 μm × 5 μm, 10 μm × 10 μm) were generated with loads that varied from 50 μN to 500 μN depending on the indenter tip. In addition normal and lateral forces were simultaneously measured along 10 μm single scratched lines with the sharp cube corner tip. SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and TEM (transmission electron microscopy) were also used to characterise the worn areas and debris. Two different wear mechanisms were observed depending on the geometry of the tip. The rounded tip generates a predominantly elastic contact that mainly compresses and plastically deforms the superficial material and generates severe shear deformation within the sub-surface material which, under certain conditions, fractures and removes material from the sample. The sharp tip cuts into and ploughs the enamel creating a wedge or ridge of material ahead of itself which eventually detaches. This sequence is repeated continuously for every passage of the sharp indenter tip. The different mechanisms are discussed in terms of abrading tip contact angle and enamel microstructure.     

Ultrasonic vibration assisted grinding of hard and brittle linear micro-structured surfaces

In this paper, a novel ultrasonic vibration assisted grinding (UVAG) technique was presented for machining hard and brittle linear micro-structured surfaces. The kinematics of the UVAG for micro-structures was first analyzed by considering both the vibration trace and the topological features on the machined surface. Then, the influences of the ultrasonic vibration parameters and the tilt angle on the ground quality of micro-structured surfaces were investigated. The experimental results indicate that the introduction of ultrasonic vibration is able to improve the surface quality (The roughness SR_a was reduced to 78 nm from 136 nm), especially in guaranteeing the edge sharpness of micro-structures. By increasing the tilt angle, the surface roughness can be further reduced to 56 nm for a 59% improvement in total. By using the preferred UVAG parameters realized by orthogonal experiments, a micro cylinder array with surface roughness of less than 50 nm and edge radius of less than 1 μm was fabricated. The primary and secondary sequence of the grinding parameters obtained by the orthogonal experiments are as follows: feed rate, tilt angle of workpiece, depth of grinding, vibration frequency and amplitude. The spindle speed in the range of 1000 rpm–3000 rpm does not significantly affect the machined micro-structured surface roughness. Finally, more micro-structures including a micro V-groove array and a micro pyramid array were machined on binderless WC as well as SiC ceramic by means of the UVAG technique. The edge radius on the V-grooves and pyramids are both less than 1 μm, indicating the feasibility of UVAG in machining hard and brittle micro-structured surfaces for an improved surface quality.     

Precision machining of micro tool electrodes in micro EDM for drilling array micro holes

Micro electro discharge machining (micro EDM) is suitable for machining micro holes on metal alloy materials, and the micro holes can be machined even to several microns by use of wire electro discharge grinding (WEDG) of micro electrodes. However, considering practicability of micro holes <Φ100 μm in batch processing, the controllable accuracy of holes’ diameter, the consistency accuracy of repeated machining and the processing efficiency are required to be systematically improved. On the basis of conventional WEDG method, a tangential feed WEDG (TF-WEDG) method combined with on-line measurement using a charge coupled device (CCD) was proposed for improving on-line machining accuracy of micro electrodes. In TF-WEDG, removal resolution of micro-electrode diameter (the minimum thickness to be removed from micro electrode) is greatly improved by feeding the electrode along the tangential direction of wire-guide arc, and the resolution is further improved by employing negative polarity machining. Taking advantage of the high removal resolution, the precise diameter of micro-electrode can be achieved by the tangential feed of electrode to a certain position after diameter feedback of on-line measurement. Furthermore, a hybrid process was presented by combining the TF-WEDG method and a self-drilled holes method to improve the machining efficiency of micro electrodes. A cyclic alternating process of micro-electrode repeated machining and micro holes’ drilling was implemented for array micro holes with high consistency accuracy. Micro-EDM experiments were carried out for verifying the proposed methods and processes, and the experimental results show that the repeated machining accuracy of micro electrodes was less than 2 μm and the consistency accuracy of array micro holes was ±1.1 μm.     

Friction and wear behavior of laser composite surfaced aluminium with silicon carbide

The present study concerns the wear behavior of laser composite surfaced Al with SiC and Al + SiC particulates. A thin layer of SiC and Al + SiC (at a ratio of 1:1 and dispersed in alcohol) were pre-deposited (thickness of 100 μm) on an Al substrate and laser irradiated using a high power continuous wave (CW) CO₂ laser. Irradiation leads to melting of the Al substrate with a part of the pre-deposited SiC layer, intermixing and followed by rapid solidification to form the composite layer on the surface. Following laser irradiation, a detailed characterization of the composite layer was undertaken in terms of microstructure, composition and phases. Mechanical properties like microhardness and wear resistance were evaluated in detail. The microstructure of the composite layer consists of a dispersion of partially melted SiC particles in grain refined Al matrix. Part of the SiC particles are dissociated into silicon and carbon leading to formation of the Al₄C₃ phase and free Si redistributed in the Al matrix. The volume fraction of SiC is maximum at the surface and decreases with depth. The microhardness of the surface improves by two to three times as compared to that of the as-received Al. A significant improvement in wear resistance in the composite surfaced Al is observed as compared to the as-received Al. The mechanism of wear for as-received vis-à-vis laser composite surfaced Al has been proposed.     

Subpixel edge location method proposed to improve the performance of optical fiber spherical coupling probe during dimensional measurement of micro-cavities with high aspect ratio

A subpixel edge location method based on orthogonal Jacobi–Fourier moments is proposed in this paper to improve the performance of optical fiber spherical coupling probe during dimensional measurement of micro-cavities with high aspect ratio. The effectiveness of the proposed method is proved through the performance test of a micro-hole measuring machine with optical spherical coupling probe. Test results indicate that a blind micro-hole of 400 μm in diameter can be experimentally measured at the depth of 2000 μm with a repeatability of 40 nm and an extremity resolution of 42 nm.     

Temperature control system for laser heating: Application for minute asteroidal materials

A temperature control system for a laser heating has been developed to extract noble gases from minute material samples recovered from the asteroid Itokawa by the Hayabusa spacecraft. An ultra-fine thermocouple was produced from 3% Re–W and 26% Re–W wires 25 μm in diameter, and its electromotive force was calibrated. A temperature control program was originally produced using LabVIEW 2011 in which proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control was not adopted as an algorithm of the program. Particle samples smaller than 60 μm in diameter were set in conical depressions in a sample holder made of fused silica and irradiated by a slightly defocused Nd-YAG laser. The temperature of the samples was recorded by the thermocouple that passed through a small hole 50 μm in diameter because the sample and the thermocouple always came into contact during laser heating. The program controlled the temperature of the tiny samples appropriately. The average temperature during heating was slightly lower than the setting temperature and the standard deviation and the maximum overshoot were lower than 2.5% and 6.0% of the setting temperature, respectively. The performance of the temperature control system is high enough to conduct the stepwise heating experiment for minute extraterrestrial material samples.     

An investigation of accuracy,repeatability and reproducibility of laser micromachining systems

Component technologies of laser micro machining systems are key factors affecting their overall performance. The effects of these technologies on accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility (ARR) in different implementations of such systems have to be investigated to quantify their contributions to the overall processing uncertainty, especially those with the highest impact on beam delivery sub-systems. The aim of this research was to evaluate the capabilities of state-of-the-art machining platforms that were specially designed and implemented for laser micro structuring and texturing. An empirical comparative study was conducted to quantify the effects of key component technologies on ARR of four state-of-the-art systems. In particular, the capabilities of the optical and mechanical axes were investigated when they were utilised separately or in combination for precision laser machining. Conclusions are made about the positional accuracy of the mechanical and optical axes and the importance of their proper calibration on the systems’ overall performance is discussed. It is shown that the laser machining platforms can achieve repeatability and reproducibility better than 2 μm and 6 μm, respectively.     

Sliding friction induced atom diffusion in the deformation layer of 0.45% C steel rubbed against Tin alloy

Evolution of microstructure and compositions in worn surface and subsurface of 45 (0.45 mass% carbon) steel disc slid against tin-alloy-pin was analyzed by SEM, TEM and SIMS. The mechanical alloying layer and plastic deformation layer were formed in the sliding friction-induced deformation layer (SFIDL) of 45 steel. Ultra-refine and nano grains were detected in the worn surface layer. Elements of Sn, Cu and Sb, originated from the mating tin-alloy-pin, with diffusion depth of 35 μm, 11 μm and 4 μm, respectively, were detected in its SFIDL. Mechanisms accelerating atom diffusion in SFIDL were subsequently propounded.     

Nanometric cutting in a scanning electron microscope

A nanometric cutting device under high vacuum conditions in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) was developed. The performance, tool-sample positioning, and processing capacity of the nanometric cutting platform were studied. The proposed device can be used to realize a displacement of 7 μm, with a closed-loop resolution of 0.6 nm in both the cutting direction and the depth direction. Using a diamond cutting tool with an edge radius of 43 nm formed by focused ion beam (FIB) processing, nanometric cutting experiments on monocrystalline silicon were performed on the developed cutting device under SEM online observation. Chips and machining results of different depths of cut were studied during the cutting process, and cutting depths of less than 10 nm could be obtained with high repeatability. Moreover, the cutting speed was found to exhibit a strong relationship with the brittle–ductile transition depth on brittle material. The experimental results of taper cutting and sinusoidal cutting indicated that the developed device has the ability to perform multiple degrees of freedom (DOFs) cutting and to study nanoscale material removal behaviour.     

Statistical approach for optimization of influencing parameters in laser assisted machining (LAM) of Inconel alloy

Laser assisted machining (LAM) is one of the innovative methods to machine difficult to cut materials to obtain maximum benefits of machinability. In this method, the influence of both the laser and cutting parameters affects the quality of machining. Hence it is required to identify the optimal levels of the parameters in order to maximize benefits. The present study focused on optimization of laser beam approach angle, laser power and cutting parameters during LAM of Inconel 718 alloy using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) coated carbide tool. The experimental trials are planned in accordance with central composite design (CCD) in response surface methodology. The ranges for selected parameters are as follows as: cutting speed (50 < Vc < 100 m/min), feed rate (0.05 < f < 0.1 mm/rev), laser power (1.25 < P_L < 1.75 kW), and approach angle (60° < θ < 90°). Cutting force and workpiece temperature, the two responses which are measured using Kistler force dynamometer and infra-red pyrometer respectively. The effects of each parameter were analysed using 3D surface plot and analysis of variance (ANOVA). A second order regression equation has been developed and model shows good agreement with experimental and predicted results. Desirability function analysis (DFA) is used to determine the optimal operating conditions. Finally, the results were validated using confirmation experiments.     

Miniaturized liquid film sensor (MLFS) for two phase flow measurements in square microchannels with high spatial resolution

Two miniaturized liquid film sensors (MLFS) based on electrical conductance measurement have been developed and tested. The sensors are non-intrusive and produced with materials and technologies fully compatible and integrable with standard microfluidics. They consist of a line of 20 electrodes with a purpose-designed shape, flush against the wall, covering a total length of 5.00 and 6.68 mm. The governing electronics achieve 10 kHz of time resolution. The electrode spacing of the two sensors is 230 μm and 330 μm, which allows measurements of liquid films up to 150 μm and 400 μm for sensors MLFS_A and MLFS_B, respectively. The sensor characteristics were obtained by imposing static liquid films of known thickness on top of the actual sensor. Further dynamic measurements of concurrent air-water flow in a horizontal microchannel were performed. The line of electrodes is placed across the flow direction with an angle of 3.53° from the direction of flow, allowing for a spatial resolution perpendicular to the flow of 14.2 μm for sensor MLFS_A and 20.5 μm for sensor MLFS_B. The high time and spatial resolution allows for fast and accurate detection of the presence of bubbles, and even measurement of film thickness and bubble velocity. Further information, such as the bubble shape, can be gathered based on the shape of the liquid layer underneath the bubble, which is particularly important for heat transfer studies in microchannels.     

A motorized 5 m tape comparator for traceable measurements of tapes and rules

A motorized 5 m tape comparator was constructed in TUBITAK UME for calibration of tapes and rules up to 5 m length in one set-up and further lengths in multiple set-ups. The system is a practical development and provides a cost effective solution for calibration of tapes in which the highest grade’s accuracy requirement in OIML R35-1 e.g. is 600 μm for 5 m length and 1100 μm for 10 m length. It is mainly composed of 6 m rail system, mechanical parts, optical units and an integrated 6 m incremental linear encoder as a reference measurement axis for traceable measurements. The rails are kinematically located on a heavy marble construction and a motorized carriage, which employs a camera for probing of the scales on the tapes, is moved along the rails during the measurement. The image of the scale taken by the camera is viewed on the monitor screen together with the running software. The operator can perform the probing process by simply moving the carriage over the measured scales (tapes or rules) using a joystick. The carriage movement is measured by the incremental linear encoder previously calibrated by a laser interferometer and the software automatically takes the measurement results from the incremental linear encoder, applies correction values previously defined and determines the length of the tapes and rules as well as deviations from nominal lengths. The estimated expanded uncertainty of the steel tape measurement is U = 54 μm in one set-up (for 5 m length) and U = 77 μm in two set-ups (for 10 m length) at the confidence level of approximately 95%. Uncertainty budget for calibration of the device itself and for calibration of the test tapes are explained in detail. The results of extensive experimental work and analysis are provided by demonstrating application of science and technology of measurement and instrumentation. Investigations for long term stability of the system are given with the reported test results for the years of 2003-2011 and participated intercomparison results to validate the device scientifically are illustrated.     

Design and validation of a grinding wheel optical scanner system to repeatedly measure and characterize wheel surface topography

This paper describes the design and validation of an upgraded grinding wheel scanner system that controls the position of a Nanovea CHR-150 Axial Chromatism sensor along the x- and y-directions of the wheel surface to measure and characterize wheel surface topography. The scanner features a novel homing system that enables the wheel to be removed from the scanner, used on a grinding machine and then re-mounted and re-homed so that the same location on the wheel surface can be repeatedly measured and monitored. The average standard deviation for homing was 27.6 μm and 19.3 μm in the x- and y-directions, respectively, which is more than adequate for typical area scans of 25 mm². After homing, the scanner was able to repeatedly measure features that were similar in size to an abrasive grain (∼200 μm diameter) with an average error of 9.3 μm and 5.9 μm in the x- and y-directions, respectively. The resulting topography measurements were compared with Scanning Electron Microscope images to demonstrate the accuracy of the scanner. A custom particle filter was developed to process the resulting data and a novel analysis technique involving the rate of change of measured area was proposed as a method for establishing the reference wheel surface from which desired wheel topography results can be reported such as the number of cutting edges, cutting edge width and cutting edge area as a function of radial depth.     

FEA simulation of thermal processes during the direct metal laser sintering of Ti64 titanium powder

With regard to the fact that laser sintering belongs to the high-temperature processes in which metal particles are sintered by a high-power laser, forming a homogenous structure, it is necessary and important to know the characteristics and the mechanism of these thermal processes. A high-power laser system produces three forms of heat that include convection, conduction, and radiation. These thermal processes affect the formation of internal stresses and tension that lead to deformations and rapidly influence the resulting quality, dimensions, density, micro-structure, and mechanical properties of fabricated parts. In response to this fact, it was important to analyse these heat transfer methods instantly during the direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) process simulation and subsequently monitor the parameters and settings of the sintering equipment in order to obtain acceptable manufacture outputs intended for further use. This work is focused on the creation of a FEA simulation model and the simulation of thermal processes across an object during and after the sintering process in the cooling stage, when it is important to consider a laser beam trajectory, temperatures of individual elements affected by the laser beam, and current laser energy in time. A 3D FEA simulation model was created in order to represent actual behaviour of a part during the sintering process. The simulation model consisted of two sub-models, particularly the building platform model with the dimensions of 250 mm × 250 mm × 22 mm, with stainless steel as the selected material, and the model of individual layers of sintered titanium powder with the dimensions of 10 mm × 10 mm × 0.03 mm. The total number of used layers was 12, which represents the total thickness of 0.36 mm. Applied power was P = 170 W. The simulation as such was carried out using the FEA software, Simulia Abaqus supported on the Windows x86-64 platform, which uses an integrated solver to make thermal and mechanic calculations. The calculations included also the impact of the protective argon atmosphere located in the process chamber. Mutual impact between individual layers was also considered. The simulation results were confronted with the results of already performed experimental studies of other scientific works, with the compliance and confirmation of assumptions being on a very good level.     

Evolution of wear,roughness, and friction of Alloy 600 superalloy surfaces in water-submersed sliding

Self-mated wear and friction of Alloy 600 superalloy was studied in a water-submersed ring-on-rod configuration, loading the side of a 6.35 mm diameter rod across the flat surface of a rotating annular ring of 100 mm outer diameter and 70 mm inner diameter producing two sliding contacts along the ring. Tests were conducted at sliding speeds of 0.178 and 0.330 m/s for sliding distances of 100 m. Normal loads of 51 and 204 N were applied, and initial R_a surface roughnesses of the rings along the sliding direction were either smooth (～0.2 μm) or rough (～7.5 μm). Increased initial ring roughness caused a ～20-fold increase in rod wear at the lighter load, whereas at the heavier load increased initial roughness only caused a ～4-fold increase in wear. At lower initial ring roughness the 4-fold decrease in normal load caused a large (one order-of-magnitude) decrease in rod wear, whereas for rings of higher initial roughness the 4-fold decrease in normal load caused only minor (2-fold or less) decreases in rod wear. Wear during this 100 m sliding distance only experienced a minor effect from the 1.8-fold change in sliding speed, as did friction. In all cases friction coefficient rapidly settled into the range 0.6–0.7, except in the cases of lower load on rings of lower initial roughness where friction coefficient remained above 1 for most of this sliding duration. At this lower load the initial ～0.2 μm rod roughnesses increased to nearly 0.8 μm by the 100 m sliding distance, whereas at the higher load this same sliding distance resulted in roughnesses returning near to the initial 0.2 μm. It was hypothesized more highly loaded cases also went through initial roughening prior to smoothening back to 0.2 μm roughness within the 100 m sliding distance, and given additional sliding the more lightly loaded cases would also experience subsequent smoothening. Increasing sliding distance to 400 m, roughnesses indicated a smoothening back to 0.2 μm level during those lightly loaded tests, with friction coefficient correspondingly dropping from 1 into the 0.6–0.7 range observed in all other cases. Extended sliding to 400 m at light loading against rings of lower initial roughness also allowed a rod wear rate which increased with increased sliding distance to be observed, approaching the same rate observed against initially rough rings within the 100 m sliding distance.