Research Programs

introduction

The Industrial Research Chair in Tribology of Lightweight Materials focuses on the understanding of how friction and wear occur at the microscopic level on lightweight materials, such as aluminums or magnesium, and composite materials made of these alloys. This research will contribute to new technologies to help industrial designers select materials and design systems or components that are resistant to wear, yet easy to machine. This is vital to metal processing and manufacturing industries, including automotive manufacturers. Research programs will be conducted in the new Tribology of Materials Research Centre under the direction of Chair Holder, Dr. A. T. Alpas, professor of Materials Science and Engineering. Research is done in partnership with General Motors' Surface Engineering and Tribology Research Group.

why research tribology

Cleaner, more fuel efficient engines:

The development of lightweight internal combustion engines using materials such as aluminum composites, or alloys, represents one of the most significant technological developments in automotive technology in the last decade. These engines reduce vehicle weight, which in turn reduces fuel consumption and emissions. However, further development of lightweight engines is impeded because they have poor wear resistance. While major automotive manufacturers, aluminum companies, and coating suppliers are investigating ways to reduce excessive wear on engines, current solutions are not necessarily based on scientific understanding of the factors that make materials wear-resistant. Research programs conducted by the Research Chair address these fundamental issues by studying wear problems that are common and significant to industry.

More efficient and environmentally friendly machining processes:

Research will help to improve manufacturing methods of wear resistant lightweight materials and their composites, especially dry machining, which is more environmentally friendly than machining practices that use large amounts of lubricants.

objectives of research chair

1. To establish a world-class Tribology of Materials Research Centre to conduct research on lightweight materials such as aluminum or magnesium alloys as well as research on micro structural aspects of friction, wear, and machining processes.

2. To use a "systems engineering approach" in tribology research that will result in new wear resistant materials, improved coatings, and new design methods to improve performance of engineering components subjected to friction and wear.

3. To develop collaborative research programs with other universities, government research labs, and manufacturers who make or use lightweight materials and will transfer resulting new technologies to automotive and metal cutting industries.

4. To strengthen existing research capabilities at University of Windsor and become a resource for engineers and technologists in auto and manufacturing industries.

objectives of research program

1. To develop new methods to measure rates of wear, coefficients of friction, and surface temperatures by using tests that imitate industrial settings. These tests will contribute to standardizing wear testing procedures.

2. To develop new methods to measure wear on a microscopic level and to establish relationships between mechanical, physical, and chemical properties of materials and their wear resistances.

3. To develop wear maps that categorize how wear will occur when materials are under different operating conditions. These maps will assist industrial designers in selecting appropriate operating conditions to minimize wear of materials.

4. To develop models that predict how wear will occur in different industrial settings. These models will assist in designing and selecting materials for systems that are subject to wear and friction.

5. To study the parameters that affect the quality of wear resistant materials, especially the factors that affect how these materials can be machined.

6. To develop new tool coating materials for dry machining of aluminum and other alloys.

current research programs

The following is a list of the current research programs conducted by the chair.

Wear Research Programs:

• New techniques and extended capabilities
• In-situ wear measurements
• Oxide state measurements
• High temperature tribology
• Wear tests and surface characterization
• Subsurface stresses and strains
• Tribo-chemistry
• Microstructural changes
• Wear mechanisms maps
• PTWA, HVOF coatings on Al
• Al-Si alloys
• Laser treated surfaces
• Graphitic MMC's
• Nano-structured materials
• Lubricated wear
• Engine tests
• Correlations between laboratory tests and field tests
• Modeling of tribological processes
• Design criteria based on wear mechanism information
• Failure prediction in coatings
• Finite element modeling of surface contacts

Machining Research Program:

• Cutting mechanisms in metals and composites
• Plastic flow during metal cutting
• Microstructural changes during cutting
• Chip formation mechanisms
• Dry machining of lightweight alloys
• Coatings for cutting tools
• Relationships between wear maps and heat dissipation mechanisms in cutting tools
• Predictive models to design wear resistant tool materials