You would like to carry out fretting tests on your materials
What is fretting?
Fretting is a wear phenomenon that occurs when two surfaces in contact undergo very small repeated relative movements, usually caused by vibrations or cyclic loads.
These micro-movements cause localized wear, often accompanied by oxidation or the formation of cracks, which can ultimately lead to premature failure of the assembly.
Why perform fretting testing?
Fretting testing allow above all to anticipate premature failures at the level of your assemblies or critical interfaces, often subject to vibrations or cyclic loads.
They also serve to validate the effectiveness of an anti-fretting coating or lubrication, by measuring their real impact on surface wear.
These tests make it possible to objectively compare different materials, treatments or geometries, to guide your technical choices during the design or optimization phase.
They also meet specific customer requirements, or quality issues identified in production, when a wear defect is suspected.
Finally, fretting tests are a security lever for the development of new components exposed to complex vibratory conditions.
FILAB supports you in conducting fretting testing on your materials
Why choose FILAB for your fretting testing in the laboratory ?
The FILAB laboratory provides you with a complete and tailor-made approach to understand and master fretting phenomena. Thanks to a state-of-the-art analytical park and a team of engineers specialized in surface analysis, tribology, metallurgy and fatigue, we are able to simulate your real conditions of use, to adapt the testing protocols to your constraints, and especially to finely characterize the damaged areas (wear, oxidation, cracks…).
Our other services
Expertise in surface coating on materials
Surface analysis: roughness, thickness measurement, topographical and morphological analysis
R&D support in the choice of surface treatments or cleaning processes
FAQ
Fretting is common in many industrial environments subject to micro-movements, such as :
- Aerospace (fasteners, metal interfaces, vibrating parts)
- Automotive (shafts, bearings, engine contact zones)
- Energy (components subject to thermal or mechanical vibration)
- Medical devices (implants, articulated prostheses)
Railways, defence, tools, etc.
A fretting test generally involves :
- Preparation of the samples (materials, specific geometries)
- Mounting in a dedicated fretting machine: it applies a normal load and a controlled oscillatory movement
- Definition of the test parameters: force, displacement amplitude, frequency, temperature, atmosphere (air, inerting, etc.)
- Data recording: friction coefficients, force evolution, wear, temperature, etc.
- Post-test analysis: lost volume measurements, SEM observations, surface analyses (EDS, XPS, etc.), etc
Results can include:
- Measured wear (loss of mass or volume)
- The coefficient of friction recorded during the test
- Analysis of surface damage (cracking, delamination, oxidation, etc.)
- Performance comparisons between materials, treatments, lubricants or conditions of use
All types of materials can be subjected to fretting tests:
- Metals and alloys (steel, titanium, aluminium, copper, etc.)
- Coatings (PVD, anodising, nitriding, etc.)
- Technical polymers (PEEK, PTFE, etc.)
- Ceramics or composites
Hybrid or bi-materials (for medical implants, electronic devices, etc.)
Yes, and it's even recommended. After the test, we often suggest :
- Surface observations (SEM, optical microscope, profilometry)
- Chemical analysis of worn areas (EDS, XPS, FTIR, Raman, etc.)
- Analysis of wear debris
- Hardness, microstructure and porosity measurements
This combination provides a detailed understanding of damage mechanisms (adhesion, abrasion, fatigue, oxidation, etc.).
