Used extensively to evaluate extreme pressure additives and properties.
This device uses three 0.5 inch diameter steel balls clamped together and covered with the test lubricant. A fourth ball is pressed into the cavity formed by the three clamped balls for three-point contact, and rotated for a certain amount of time. It can be used to find the lowest load at which the lubricant can no longer separate the moving ball from the fixed balls (weldpoint) and the load where no significant wear occurs (Last Non-Seizure Load). The load wear index can also be found based on the measured wear scars after individual tests at different loads. Standardized tests include: ASTM D2266 – D4172 - D5183 - IP 300 - NF E48617 §3. Prices can vary upon preparation & customization of the test. This company is specialized in friction and wear testing.