Description

The TE 50 is a sealed and pressurised reciprocating wear generator. The standard test
configuration is line contact with a 6 mm diameter cylinder in contact with a flat surface. A
pressurised chamber fits over the moving specimen, rated to 3 bar, under either liquid or gas
pressure. The base of the test assembly includes locations for cartridge heaters and an optional
refrigerant probe.

The moving specimen carrier is an arm that projects into the chamber through a stainless-steel
bellows and a sliding seal. The arm is connected via a bearing to a pivoted shaft, with outriggers
and support bearings at either end. A pneumatic cylinder at the end of each outrigger is used to
generate a moment of the pivoted shaft, which is reacted by the force between the moving
specimen and the counter-surface. The stainless-steel bellows provides the necessary freedom of
movement to allow effective transmission of load.

Reciprocating motion is generated using a scotch yoke drive from a standard TE 77 machine,
driven by a gear-motor.

For access to the specimens, the pneumatic cylinders are folded to the side and the chamber
fixing screws removed. The moving specimen arm and the chamber lid are then rotated together,
out of contact with the chamber base.