Digital images of contact parameters and wear study in tribosystems

A technique of easy-to-interpret presentation of physical parameters (friction coefficient and electrical contact resistance) recorded in the course of friction tests is proposed. The technique is based on construction of digital "triboscopic images" as 3D map. The map includes space and time (or number of cycles) coordinates; the third coordinate is brightness ("grey level ") reflecting the value of a given parameter. The map gives evident information on surface wear uniformity, transfer process, wear particles formation and their displacement in the contact zone, scratch formation, etc. Examples of best data presentation and interpretation of results are presented. The triboscopic images are shown to be an important quantitative tool in microtribology.