ABSTRACT
High quality and reliability of machine components is achieved by knowing their tribological behaviour and lifetime. The objective of accelerated testing is to provide this information in a short space of time and at a low cost. In accelerated testing the real contact is simulated under more severe conditions in a simplified mechanical device with controlled parameter variation possibilities. The test is relevant to real component performance only if it is done in a controlled way without changes in the tribological contact conditions. This can be assured by using wear maps, test parameter monitoring and wear track analysis.
