Closed-form solutions for simplified fretting wear profiles prediction incorporating an inverse identification of local wear rates

This paper proposes a method for estimating the local wear rates operating within a flat-on-flat contact subjected to fretting wear through an inverse identification approach. Using an error minimization strategy involving a limited number of experimental tests, it is possible to identify the wear rate coefficients associated with adhesive or abrasive wear domains observed within the fretting interface. This work is then extended by the development of an analytical formulation for the calculation of simplified surface wear profiles. This model shows that the wear increment profile tends towards a flat distribution. In other words, the material removal increment is inclined towards a constant value over the entire fretting interface, regardless of the varying wear coefficients operating within the contact. A good correlation is observed between the proposed model and the experimental results, not only for predicting the total wear volumes, but also for predicting the wear profiles, and particularly the evolution of the maximum wear depth. Contrary to the iterative FEM approaches, which are time consuming and demanding, this analytical formulation provides a quasi-instantaneous estimation of the wear profiles, which can be very interesting for fast and efficient fretting wear design.