Mini Traction Machine (MTM)
The MTM tribometer is a ball/disk tribometer from PCS Instruments that can be used to measure friction and wear in elastohydrodynamic rolling contact. Usually, different lubricating oils or greases are compared with each other on the MTM tribometer with regard to lubricating film formation, friction and wear. Hertzian contact pressures up to 1.25 GPa, rolling speeds up to 4 m/s, temperatures up to 150 °C and a slide-roll ratio from -200 % to +200 % can be set as operating parameters. By varying the parameters in a targeted manner, the lubricant influence on friction and wear can be quantified under controlled conditions. Furthermore, it is possible to determine lubricant parameters, such as the limiting shear stress, for theoretical calculation models from the test results.
Additional options include the 3D Spacer Layer Imaging Method (3D-SLIM) for measuring submicron boundary layers on the samples that form during testing, as well as the use of an oil cooler for low-temperature tests.