| dc.description.abstract | The objective of this research project is to design the components of a tribometer, instrument the assembly for force data acquisition, and to retrofit it onto an existing computer numerical controlled (CNC) machining center; this design will be used for fundamental tribometric testing of tooling materials suited for rock drilling. When reproducing machining conditions in a traditional tribometer, the machine dynamics of the cutting process which determines the tribological response of the tool material is not well captured. Retrofitting an existing CNC machine for rock tribometric testing replicates the machine dynamics more accurately than traditional tribometer tests. Further, simultaneous rotary-percussive drilling capabilities would be enabled. For achieving this objective, the tribological parameters relevant to rock machining will first be identified, then individual components for applying and measuring forces will be designed, and finally the assembly will be instrumented for real-time data acquisition. This work is expected to provide a low-cost adaptation, as well as a template for in-situ tribological testing designs on equipment used for similar field-level operations. | en |
