Abstract
To measure the EHL film thickness in a starved condition, a rolling contact apparatus with two successive rolling elements is made. The EHL film thickness and geometry is measured by white light interferometry because the film thickness in starved condition becomes thinner less than 1μm. In the case that inlet film thickness can be considered to be uniform, it is shown that a variation of film thickness with inlet film thickness predicted in the numerical analysis agrees with measurement results. Furthermore, in the case that the two ball successively passes on the same track, it is suggested that severe starvation may occurs in the side portion of contacts.
