Friction and wear

At Soete laboratory, we keep things moving. Bearings do the same, whether they are miniature fan bearings, rolling element bearings in wind turbines or sliding bearings in offshore constructions.

These essential mechanical components allow applications to move and carry loads, enabling them to perform crucial jobs and functions. In applications, bearings typically roll or slide, causing wear between the connecting surfaces. That’s where we come in.

WHY USE BEARING TESTING SERVICES FROM SOETE LABORATORY?

• Discover which lubricant performs the best under static and dynamic operating conditions
• Extent the life of your bearing under dynamically oscillating or full rotation
• Access a range of unique solutions, including bespoke tests

Gear testing services at Soete Laboratory – allows for the research of the behaviour of custom gears under different load, speed and lubrication conditions

The behaviours of the gears are investigated during a custom-designed short-term or endurance test cycle, where operational and data-acquisition parameters can be changed dynamically during operation.

WHY CHOOSE GEAR TESTING SERVICES FROM SOETE LABORATORY?

• Testing of spur and helical gears
• Testing of gear mounting mechanisms
• Testing the real components.
• Flexibility in operational and data-acquisition parameters
• Continuously improved test rig, to keep up with the state-of-the-art
• COMING SOON: A novel online vision-assisted condition monitoring system.

One of Laboratory Soete’s highlights is the ability to subject large (even full-scale) components and structures to mechanical tests in near operational conditions. 

WHY CHOOSE CUSTOM MADE FROM SOETE LABORATORY?

• We transform problems in solutions
• High capacity and full-scale possibilities
• Simulating real-world scenarios
• Provide lab services throughout the project lifecycle

Proper connection is especially important between specific industrial machine elements, where beneficial strength to flexibility ratio is required (e.g. link chains). At Labo Soete we investigate the lifetime and the wear of these connecting elements.

WHY USE CHAIN TESTING FROM SOETE LABORATORY?

• Several universal machines
• Full scale specimens with correct geometry
• Wear testing with two type relative motion
• Load capacity up to 10kN
• Testing in diverse environmental conditions

Wear is defined as progressive loss of material from the surface of a solid body due to mechanical, chemical or thermal processes. Therefore, the combined effect of these influences the lifetime of the parts in the tribological system. At Labo Soete we investigate on a broad scale the lifetime, the friction and wear properties of the requested materials.

WHY USE WEAR TESTING SERVICES FROM SOETE LABORATORY?

• Access a range of unique, application-oriented testing solutions
• Professional testing environment
• In-depth result evaluation
• Online test monitoring as well as post-mortem wear analysis
• Providing help with material selection, ranking