ABSTRACT
Designing a product for the first time requires very mature skills, not only in materials and manufacturing methods but also in design philosophy for a particular product. The philosophy by which the wear life or frictional behavior of a product is chosen may differ strongly within and between various segments of industry. The wear life and frictional stability of mechanical components involves nearly as many variables as those that affect human life. Fortunately, for many cases and for most designers, the crucial components in a machine in which wear or friction may limit useful machine function are available as separate packages with fairly well-specified performance capabilities. Perhaps the single and most important error committed in wear testing is to assume that an adequate test is one in which the contact pressure (load) and sliding speed is the same as in the practical device under design.
