Master's thesis: Pin-on-Disc wear tester of nitrided steels

Background
RISE has developed a wear testing rig (pin-on-disc) that has been utilised in several VBC (Heat Treatment Centre) projects. This has generated substantial knowledge regarding the rig’s performance in assessing surface wear and friction. However, results have primarily indicated that outcomes are linked to surface topography rather than properties derived from heat treatment.

Therefore, RISE have raised questions regarding the relevance of the rig for continued evaluation and have identified a need for deeper understanding related to this type of testing including: 

• Review of current practices and developments in wear testing of heat-treated materials
• Testing and benchmarking of the rig’s performance
• Establishing a standard procedure for conducting tests and evaluating results, including friction, wear, etc.

Description
Develop a reliable testing methodology for the RISE pin-on-disc (POD) rig to evaluate heat-treated surfaces.

Key Responsibilities

• Characterise of the test setup and identify the influential parameters on wear and friction
• Design of test specimens in terms of geometry and topography to reflect relevant outcomes from component-level testing
• Design test in regards of appropriate testing parameters, such as rotational speed, load, choice of oil and its viscosity, etc.
• Benchmarking of RISE’s rig compared to another wear rig

Qualifications
Master students within material science and engineering, need to be associated with a university that has pin-on-disc testing rigg and Tribology knowledge. To be performed during 2026.

Terms
Credits: 30points
Compensation: 30 000 SEK after project completion and approval.

Welcome with your application!

Last day of application; 2026-01-01
Contact; Dr. Jonas Holmberg, RISE: jonas.holmberg@ri.se