The vibration of instrument ball bearings in a controlled environment and the effect of the resulting fretting corrosion on bearing torque

Fretting corrosion is a form of wear which occurs at the interface of two contacting solid materials as the result of small, relative vibratory motion. It is generally identified by the presence of a red oxide, Fe203. Previously, the majority of the investigators studied the fretting corrosion between two flat specimens or between a single ball and a flat plate held in contact by a normal force. There are a number of interrelated influencing factors involved in fretting corrosion including: the vibration frequency and amplitude, the environmental conditions, the characteristics of the material, and the type of lubrication. The present investigation was conducted in order to investigate the effects of frequency and amplitude of axial vibration and the consequent accelerations acting to produce fretting damage within an unlubricated instrument ball bearing. The effect of bearing axial play on the fretting damage was also examined. The reproducibility of the damage resulting from these variables was determined.