WEAR AND LUBRICATION AS OBSERVED ON A LAP TABLE WITH LOOSE AND BONDED ABRASIVE GRIT

Lapping machines are widely used for the planar grinding of both metals and ceramics. In principle, they resemble the many pin-on-disk machines that have been constructed for tribology studies. However, they generally have the advantage of rugged construction and a wide choice of operating speeds. Most lapping machines are used with loose abrasive grit, but covering the table with a bonded coated abrasive presents no serious problem. In this mode, two-body abrasion can be studied and compared with three-body abrasion using identical speeds and loads. The primary purpose of this study was to elucidate the role of lubricants in such operations.