Pin-on-Disc Modelling with Mesh Deformation Using Discrete Element Method

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Tribology
• Computational Mechanics

Background:

• The pin-on-disc test is a standard method for evaluating sliding wear properties.
• Accurate prediction of wear behavior is crucial for material design and performance assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare long-term laboratory pin-on-disc test performance with a short-term numerical model.
• To evaluate the effect of mesh size on wear simulation results.
• To establish a scaling factor for relating experimental and numerical model parameters.

Main Methods:

• A discrete element method (DEM) was employed, integrated with the Archard wear model and deformable geometry.
• The influence of mesh size on wear prediction was systematically investigated.
• A scaling factor was developed to correlate experimental revolutions with simulation parameters.

Main Results:

• Numerical simulations demonstrated that disc mesh size significantly impacts wear contour prediction.
• Wear depth and width exhibited a normal distribution post run-in, while wear volume showed a quadratic relationship with revolutions.
• Accurate matching of experimental and simulated wear volumes was achieved for a minimum of eight revolutions.

Conclusions:

• The developed DEM model, combined with the Archard wear model, provides a reliable method for simulating pin-on-disc wear.
• The study successfully calibrated a wear coefficient, showing good agreement between experimental and simulated wear volumes.
• Mesh size is a critical parameter influencing the accuracy of wear contour predictions in DEM simulations.