A Macro-scale Approximation for the Running-in Period

The article presents asymptotic modeling of the running-in wear process with fixed contact zone under a prescribed constant normal load or an imposed contact displacement. The wear contact problem is formulated within the framework of the two-dimensional theory of elasticity in conjunction with Archard's law of wear. The running-in process is considered at the macro-scale level, while the micro-processes associated with roughness changes, tribomaterial evolution, and microstructural alteration in the subsurface layers as a first approximation are neglected. The setting of the steady-state regime for the macro-contact pressure evolution is chosen as the criterion to characterize the completion of running-in. Simple closed-form approximations are derived for the running-in period and running-in sliding distance. The obtained results can be used for estimating the running-in period in wear processes where the evolution of the macro-shape deviations at the contact interface plays a dominant role.