A reciprocating pin-on-plate test-rig for studying friction materials for holding brakes

This paper refers to testing of friction materials for holding brakes. In contrast to the more typical case of high energy brakes, holding brakes operate usually in a reciprocating sense, at very low sliding speeds and allow significantly higher clamping pressures. The design of a reciprocating pin-on-plate test-rig for studying the evolution of wear by monitoring the pin height reduction using Eddy-current proximity sensors is presented. Moreover, a new mechanism for recording the friction force is suggested. Apart from the design of the test-rig, friction force and wear rate measurements for two different friction materials running against an unhardened steel surface are presented as a usage case. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.