Title: On the ferro-graphic characterisation of wear debris in tribological system by grey fixed weight clustering

Authors: Xianguo Hu, Jian Zhou, Peng Huang

Addresses: Institute of Tribology, Hefei University of Technology, P.O. Box 130, 193 Tunxi Road, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China. ' Institute of Tribology, Hefei University of Technology, P.O. Box 130, 193 Tunxi Road, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China. ' Institute of Tribology, Hefei University of Technology, P.O. Box 130, 193 Tunxi Road, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China

Abstract: Both characterisation of wear debris and identification of wear debris from lubricating oils and greases in the tribological systems were investigated in the present paper. The characterisation system to describe wear debris morphology was erected based on the identification parameters of wear debris in the ferro-graphic system. Four characterisation parameters were analysed, including colour, surface texture, shape and size of wear debris. By using grey fixed weight clustering method, six kinds of wear debris were recognised, i.e., normal wear debris, ball particles, cutting debris, sever sliding debris, debris of Fe2O3 and Fe3O4, which is helpful to pre-diagnose the fault type of machinery.

Keywords: wear debris; tribology; grey fixed weight clustering; lubricating oils; greases; ferro-graphic systems; fault diagnosis; wear monitoring; machine faults; condition monitoring.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSURFSE.2010.035147

International Journal of Surface Science and Engineering, 2010 Vol.4 No.4/5/6, pp.448 - 464

Published online: 09 Sep 2010 *

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