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In recent years, polymeric materials have gained prominence as a competitive option for gear manufacturing. Nevertheless, the absence of comprehensive literature addressing the wear due to the coupling of these materials presents a real challenge in response to this innovative trend. Wear of plastic gearwheels represents, in fact, a key issue, traditionally assessed using standard formulations under optimal dry operating conditions. These calculations often rely on coefficients derived from specialized gear tests, but their applicability is constrained to specific polymer–metal combinations. This research was dedicated to the development of a test bench tailored to evaluate the wear of glass fiber-reinforced self-lubricating polymer gearwheels under different operating conditions. This study commenced with a comprehensive exploration of wear phenomena in thermoplastic gearwheels and the inherent challenges associated with utilizing existing standards and the scientific literature for wear analysis. This was followed by a careful evaluation of the operational needs of the test bench, which, starting from a basic solution already implemented, improved its use in various aspects. Finally, this study introduced an optical-based methodology for average linear wear control. This research strived to establish a testing approach that minimizes uncertainties when assessing the wear of thermoplastic gears. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper aims to propose data from incisive multiaxial fatigue experimental tests which results from the analysis of several works within current literature. Approximately 200 experimental datasets have been collected and paired with the widest variety of materials and stress combinations. Furthermore, we carried out a critical analysis of the methods with which said datasets were obtained, also focusing on the kind of tests that were conducted, the type of specimens used, modes of data cataloging, and some other aspects which we will further analyze during the discussion. We will only refer to data which come from primary sources, avoiding data transcription errors. We thus created a unified data collection useful for all multiaxial reduction methods verification for ductile materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the literature there are many experimental results of multiaxial fatigue testing, usually generated by the combination of two or more cyclical loads. The cases in which samples are randomly stressed are rarer. Moreover, to generate particular stress states, the use of specific machinery for fatigue tests is usually required. For these reasons, the authors have created a particular geometry of specimens, which, when solicited by a single input of a random type, guarantees the creation of specific multiaxial stress states without using complex and costly instruments. The experimental tests were finally used for the validation of the multiaxial reduction method developed and currently utilized in the authors' design phase, though potentially used to verify all the other methodologies present in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydraulic shock absorbers are mechanical devices responsible of vibration damping. Although a high level of development and tuning has been carried on, in order to ensure high performance standards in almost every situation, some dynamic phenomenon affecting internal fluid may reduce the damping capacity. In hydraulic shock absorbers, the energy is dissipated forcing the internal fluid through calibrated orifices; this energy is converted in heat and dispersed outwards from the external walls. Hydraulic fluid has therefore a fundamental role for the proper functioning of the overall device, and the most important variations of its chemical-physical properties have to be considered. One of the most dangerous phenomena involving the internal fluid is cavitation, which could affect performances and generate structural damages of the internal components of the damper. The aim of this work is to diagnose the phenomenon of cavitation using experimental data from a prototype of monotube shock absorber equipped with transparent walls and developed for research purposes. The identification of force and displacement parameters is carried out through experimental tests on the prototype, which is a totally adjustable device equipped with pressure and temperature transducers for every chamber. The optical access provided from the transparent wall allows to collect images from a high-speed camera, which could be related to the signals coming from the transducers. This approach is valuable for analyzing the occurrence and the time development of dynamic phenomena of cavitation of the flow or the motion of the main valve blades. Finally, the acquisition of the optical images, coupled with evidences from experimental data, allows to characterize the dynamic events of cavitation, from his onset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]