The Oerlikon Application Lab Tribological Test Solutions for Industry-Leading Performance

The solid particle erosion test in accordance with ASTM G76 evaluates the resistance of coatings to particle impact. In this test, a gas jet is used to accelerate solid particles onto the material surface in a defined way, so that erosion and material removal can be assessed under realistic conditions.

• Particles: Corundum (Al₂O₃) 50 µm (others on request)
• Particle velocity: 30-200 m/s
• Feed rate: 2-5 g/min and 150-300 g/min
• Impact angle: 30-90°
• Temperature: up to 1000 °C

The solid particle erosion test according to specification E50TF121 is the industry standard method for qualifying coatings applied to turbine components in aircraft engines.

• Particles: Corundum (Al₂O₃) 50 µm
• Feed rate: 400 g/min
• Impact angle: 20°
• Temperature: RT

The cavitation erosion test according to ASTM G32 evaluates the resistance of coatings to bubble collapse in liquids. A vibrating ultrasonic transducer is used to generate cavitation in a defined manner, so that the erosion behavior and material removal can be reproducibly assessed.

• Medium: deionized water
• Frequency: 20 kHz
• Amplitude: 50 µm

Very hard materials and coatings can be efficiently tested for erosion resistance with a high-pressure water jet. This method reliably evaluates both erosion resistance and service life under defined test conditions.

• Particles: Garnet 200 µm
• Water jet: 700 bar
• Impact angle: 12°, 30°, 60°, 90°

The crockmeter test assesses the non-stick properties of coatings. A prepared sample is rubbed against fine abrasive paper (either dry or wet) under controlled conditions. The number of cycles until the medium is completely removed from the coated surface reflects the non-stick performance.

The kaloMAX test uses a three-body wear mechanism: between a rotating tungsten carbide ball and the coated surface, a defined abrasive facilitates controlled material removal.

With the Taber Abraser, a rotating sample is exposed to mechanical abrasion from abrasive wheels under a set load. Using different abrasive wheels - containing abrasives, rubber, leather, or specialized materials - allows simulation of various applications and load scenarios.

The ASTM G65 test is a three-body wear method: dry sand is introduced as an abrasive medium between a rotating rubber wheel and the coated sample. Procedures vary by the number of wheel revolutions. Ottawa Sand AFS 50/70 (quartz), 50-70 mesh, is commonly used.

The NUS-ISO 3 test uses a wheel coated with abrasive paper and a coated sample to perform two-body wear tests, typically involving four passes of 400 revolutions each.

The ASTM G75 method studies wear in solid-liquid mixtures, allowing determination of the mixture’s abrasiveness or the abrasion resistance of a sample. Using a defined test solution, coated samples oscillate in the solution for three passes of two hours each.

The salt spray test, following ASTM B117, measures the corrosion resistance of coatings. A defined salt solution is sprayed within a sealed test chamber onto the coated sample for a specified period, typically up to 1,000 hours, to promote and assess corrosion.

The SRV®5 tribometer allows high-precision measurement of friction and wear under both lubricated and dry conditions, for lubricants, materials, coatings, and components. In the test, a counter-specimen oscillates over the surface of the base specimen, simulating realistic loads under defined pressure, temperature, and movement scenarios.

• Load: 1-2000 N
• Frequency: 5-500 Hz
• Stroke: 0.01-5 mm
• Temperature range: RT-900 °C

The modular design of the Bruker UMT TriboLab enables the setting of various motion patterns - including linear, oscillating, and rotating - along with control over force, speed, and frequency.

• Force: 0.1 N - 2 000 N
• Rotating:
  • Speed: up to 5 000 rpm
  • Temperature: up to 400 °C
• Oscillating:
  • Frequency: 0.1 - 60 Hz
  • Stroke: 0.1 - 25 mm

The TE92 Rotary Tribometer from Phoenix Tribology (UK) operates with test forces up to 10 000 N and rotational speeds up to 10 000 rpm. This allows for realistic simulation of highly stressed applications. Tests can also be conducted in an oil bath at temperatures up to 200 °C.

The TE 69 Load Scanner from Phoenix Tribology (UK) simulates load-variable sliding applications by synchronizing the movement of two specimens.

• Test modes: unidirectional, oscillating
• Load: 40-2000 N
• Temperature: up to 250 °C in liquid bath, up to 600 °C in dry tests

Oerlikon's custom-developed impact test rig allows flexible adjustment of load intensity, number of impacts, and contact conditions to evaluate coating performance under realistic impact scenarios.

The TE43 impact-sliding test rig from Phoenix Tribology (UK) combines controlled impact and sliding loads for comprehensive coating evaluation.

Our furnace technology enables heat treatments and aging up to 1 700 °C. In addition to standard processes, we offer specialized applications such as hot corrosion tests to assess the behavior of coatings and materials under extreme environments.

• Temperature: up to 1 700 °C
• Temperature distribution: 350 mm ±2 °C
• Heat treatment under vacuum is possible

Thermal shock tests are performed using our automatic cycling furnaces. Coatings are repeatedly subjected to rapid temperature changes to reliably assess their resistance to thermal fatigue and cracking.

• Temperature: up to 1 600 °C
• Heating rate: up to ~2.5 °C/s (150 °C/min)
• Cooling rate: ~4 °C/s (240 °C/min) through air cooling system
• Platform size: 200 × 200 mm

We test coated medical instruments through repeated autoclave cycles to reliably assess coating resistance to sterilization processes and thermal stress.

Incubators simulate defined temperature and humidity conditions to test the long-term behavior of coatings, assessing corrosion resistance, aging processes, and material stability under realistic conditions.

• Temperature: 20-70 °C

Using the MarSurf SD roughness measuring device from Mahr, surface quality of coatings is measured precisely and according to standards. This tactile method provides reliable characteristic values such as Ra and Rz to support both quality assurance and research.

Using the Keyence VR-5200 3D profilometer, we measure surfaces in a non-contact, high-resolution manner. The system delivers complete 3D surface data in seconds, making it ideal for roughness measurement, wear analysis, and quality assurance.

• Resolution: 0.1 µm
• Measuring range horizontal: 200 × 100 mm
• Measuring range vertical: 50 mm
• Restrictions: no reflective surfaces
  • surfaces, no semi-transparent surfaces
  • surfaces, no excessively steep indentations

The ZEISS GOM ATOS Q 12M is employed for precise 3D digitization of components. This optical system captures even complex geometries without contact and provides high-resolution data for quality control and wear analysis.

• Light source: LED
• Measuring points per scan: 12 million
• Measuring range [mm³]: 100 × 70 - 500 × 370
• Point spacing (resolution) [mm]: 0.03 - 0.12

The ZEISS ZHU 2.5 is used to perform instrumented indentation tests, providing precise characteristic values such as hardness and elastic modulus for coatings, enabling detailed assessment of mechanical properties.

• Load: < 2 500 N

High-cycle fatigue tests are performed using the rotating beam method. In this test, samples are subjected to millions of cycles of rotating bending stress to reliably determine the fatigue strength of coatings and base materials.

• Temperature: < 900 °C
• Frequency: < 250 Hz