Measurement of Wear in Radial Journal Bearings

In this article, the measurement of wear i n radial journal bearings is discussed, where a distinction is made between stationa y and non-stationa y contact conditions. Starting with Holm/ArchardS wear law, equations are derived for the calculation of the specific wear rate k of the bearing material as afunction of the wear depth d, measured after an experiment or a period of use i n practice. I t is also possible to calculate a value for the maximum allowable apparent pressure pa at given values of k, required lifetime and maximum allowable wear depth d, or a value of d at a given value of pa. in order to facilitate the use of the equations mentioned above, non-dimensional diagrams are presented. Two examples are given to explain the use of these diagrams.