An in-situ wear measurement instrumentation for thin metallic bearing coatings using high frequency ultrasound

In this paper, an in-situ measurement instrumentation for bearing wear status has been proposed, including the 22 MHz high frequency sensors, ultrasound multiplexer, data acquisition system and control algorithm. In-situ experiments have shown that it can measure the real-time thickness and wear depth of coating during the operation with a high accuracy. Additionally, the negative wear results have been discussed, which reveals the ultrasound reflection during the surface deformation stage, and explains the phenomenon of decreased wear depth during the wear progress. Generally, the research underpins the design of a prototype for an in-situ wear measurement instrument, which will be helpful for the further development of tribology equipment.