Some stages of evolution and prospects of tribo-fatigue (materials to its history)
Published from "Кухарев А.В. Некоторые этапы и перспективы развития трибофатики (материалы к ее истории) / Тр. VI-го Международного симпозиума по трибофатике (ISTF 2010), 25 октября – 1 ноября 2010 г., Минск (Беларусь) / Редкол.: М.А. Журавков (пред.) [и др]. –Минск: БГУ, 2010. –Т. 1. –С. 65-76."
А. V. Кukharev
1 Introduction The definition of the term tribo-fatigue is presented in the Intergovernmental Standard GOST 30638-99 [1]; tribo-fatigue is a science of wear-fatigue damages and fracture of force systems of machinery and equipment. It has been first published in 1986 [2]. During the last 25 years from the moment of its publishing, tribo-fatigue has passed a difficult way of formation and recognition. I would like to tell briefly about only some stages of evolution of tribo-fatigue since many events occurred with my participation. 2 About Tribo-Fatigue: 1995 In 1995 I had to speak of tribo-fatigue on a meeting. The contracted text of that speech, which was published in [3] under the headline “Tribo-Fatigue Already Serves and Will Serve People “, is presented below. When the term tribo-fatigue was first published in 1986 (in Minsk), it did not evoke heightened emotions. But already in 1990 a sharp debate run at the All-Union Scientific and Technical Meeting in Gomel. Specialists from known research centers of the Soviet Union wanted to elucidate what is tribo-fatigue. Either it was an independent science or a new direction in some science? |
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Most specialists that participated the International Symposium on Tribo-Fatigue in 1993 (Gomel, Belarus) were already close acquainted with tribo-fatigue and for many of them it became a subject of concrete activities. But among them were researchers and engineers, for which the word “tribo-fatigue” rang as news. And debate on whether tribo-fatigue is a science continued and has not yet been finished up to now.
I would like to note that it is not a quite idle issue. Its solution is not a toy for theoreticians. In my opinion, an answer is important, first of all, for machine-building. To substantiate this statement, I will refer to recent events and... fights.
Studies on friction and wear as well as role of lubrication in contact of solids were carried out througout the world and are performed nowadays. However, the leading role is played by so-called complex studies, i. e. tribological studies. In this case all three processes are investigated in indissoluble connection, i. e. in a comlex manner. And what is the result?
Here I have to remember the paper of Prof. Jost (Great Britain), in which he made a concrete estimate of cost of fight against new views in science. He noted that initially tribology was ignored because of its versatility. The direct result of such ignorance was impeded evolution of design in machine-building and gross expences for reducing friction and wear and eliminating their consequences … Only in Great Britain it would be save 5.5 million pounds (by estimate in 1965), if more attention was paid to tribology. At present is is believed that due attention to tribology would yield money saving of 1.3 до 1.6 % of gross national revenue. These are the scale of losses only in one country!
So, foundations of tribo-fatigue have been developed in our country. It deals with regularities of wear-fatigue damages. As it was repeatedly reported, these damages yield 70, 80, and even 90 % of premature failures of machinery and equipment. And tribo-fatigue finds novel and effective ways to control over these damages and methods for their prevention. Just imagine yourself: if all the engineering community (and we too) found and continues finding measures against wear and strives for so-called wearless friction, specialists in tribo-fatigue have established that, on the contrary, wear is necessary in some important cases to prolong the life of a tribo-fatigue system. Such approach leads to not only improvement of machine reliability but also saving of gross means.
Nowadays some persons enter into struggle with tribo-fatigue instead of fight against wear. They appeal to cut costs for tribo-fatigue studies, not to introduce a course of tribo-fatigue in higher schools, not to establish a specialization on tribo-fatigue, and not to develop machines for wear-fatigue tests...
In this connection I would like to remember how how protective was attitude of Francis Bacon to science. He wrote that, if only science itself would yield no use, one could not call it vain; if only it would sharpen a mind and make an order in it. Nowadays the purpose of science is to serve people. Such was the Lev Tolstoi’s opinion. Is it possible to disagree? There is no doubt that tribo-fatigue already serves and will serve people...
...What is tribo-fatigue really?
Some tribologists assert that tribo-fatigue is a new scientific direction in tribology; in my opinion, they are right only partly. The reason is that they take into account only one side of the coin, i. e. effect of cyclic loads on variations in friction and wear resistance characteristics. It is this issue that corresponds to traditional views and scientific interests of an “ingrained tribologist”.
On the contrary, when strength scientists assert that tribo-fatigue is a new scientific direction in fatigue fracture mechanics, in my opinion, they are also right only partly. One of the reasons is that they consider only one (naturally, another than tribologists) side of the coin, i. e. effect of friction and wear processes on variations in fatigue resistance characteristics. It is this issue corresponds to to traditional views and scientific interests of an “ingrained strength scientist”.
However, if one overcomes the cognitive-psychological barrier that separates narrow specialists and takes into account both peer sides of the coin in their indissoluble unity, he comes to the fact that two new scientific directions have arisen at the interface of tribology and fatigue fracture mechanics. They are dialectically united and form a basis for new science — tribo-fatigue. As for any science, tribo-fatigue has its own subject of the study (tribo-fatigue systems), methods of study (wear-fatigue testing), and models and criteria (complex indexes of wear-fatigue damage). Tribo-fatigue “stands on the shoulders” of such scinces as tribology, fatigue fracture mechanics, and reliability of mechanical systems and it does not belittles significance of the sciences, which are the sources of tribo-fatigue; it rather proves vital force and power of the new scince. Let us remember Isaak Newton’s words: “If we saw farther than others, it was only because we stood on the shoulders of giants”. Specialists in tribo-fatigue have already proven that they see farther than others.
3 Tribo-Fatigue: 2000
To this moment, results are achieved in tribo-fatigue that are estimated by the II International Symposium on Tribo-Fatigue (Moscow, 1996) as priority ones. Here I list only briefly some achievements in this field:
new methods and procedures of wear-fatigue testing have been proposed and experimentally implemented;
basic regularities of wear-fatigue damage have been experimentally studied (the direct and back effects);
some theoretical problems have been formulated and solved; their generalization has allowed us to formulate foundations of mechanics of wear-fatigue damage and fracture;
a practical problem on control over processes of wear-fatigue damage is formulated and solved as applied to developed tribo-fatigue systems of machinery and equipment;
first summarizing books on tribo-fatigue have been prepared and issued;
a number of standards in the field of tribo-fatigue have been developed, certified, and introduced;
several modifications of SI series machines for wear-fatigue testing of materials and models of tribo-fatigue systems have been developed.
And now some words about prospects that were pointed at the II International Symposium on Tribo-Fatigue [4].
(А) In theoretical direction, evolution of tribo-fatigue will be governed by profound understanding of the main regularities of wear-fatigue damage of materials, conditions of achieving the limiting states of tribo-fatigue systems, and search for new principles and methods for predicting durability and preventing emergencies in operation of complex engineering devices for important purposes.
(В) In practical aspects, evolution of tribo-fatigue leads to transition from design of single machine parts to life design of tribo-fatigue systems. A complex of methods for control over wear-fatigue damage of concrete tribo-fatigue systems has to be developed and introduced to save labour, costs, and materials in fields of production and exploitation of modern machinery with improved durability.
(С) In the field of improving testing equipment, evolution of tribo-fatigue leads to development and introduction of new and high methods and technologies for wear-fatigue testing, including accelerated testing, and to creation of a new class of testing machines on this basis.
(D) In the field of developing technological normative documents, evolution of tribo-fatigue yields development and introduction of a complex of standards for methods of wear-fatigue testing. Subsequently, it will allow one to formulate and solve a problem of certification of tribo-fatigue systems by the most vital criteria of serviceability.
(Е) In the field of staff training, evolution of tribo-fatigue necessitates the discipline “Foundations of Trib-Fatigue” (Dynamics, strength, and wear resistance of machines, instruments, and equipment) to be introduced in curricula of machine-building higher schools. The question is ripe on introduction of this speciality for training of research and technical staff.
(F) In the scientific-organizing field, evolution of tribo-fatigue results in creation and export of science-intensive production such as new and high testing methods, principally novel testing machines, and new standards.
In October, 2000 scientists from many countries summarized achievements of tribo-fatigue at the III International Symposium on Tribo-Fatigue (Beijing, China) for fifteen years [5]. Generalizing monograph [6] was published, which was written by specialists from Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, and China. Below I give a short citation from the foreword of its authors.
“Five of us participated the III International Symposium on Tribo-Fatigue in Beijing, October, 2000, but all we presented reports”. Other fife our colleagues not only presented their reports, but were also involved in organization of two previous symposiums. Though our reports were partly presented as separate ones, we had a common task: to favor evolution of tribo-fatigue by carrying out our own studies. Now we have united our results and we guess there is a whole that is called tribo-fatigue.
It is an arduous task for six researchers to write a monograph, even though they belong to one team. Although we were separated by borders and great distances, we wrote it quite easily, cause we were inspired by the problem, which was, in our opinion, of tremendous practical significance for modern machine-building.
The bibliography on tribo-fatigue for 1995–2000 [7] includes only the papers, whose issue is related to Gomel in any case and, of course, to complex of research and development works on tribo-fatigue carried out in Belarus. It comprises over two hundred scientific papers and their almost 70 authors are researchers and engineers from over 50 organizations.
Thus, we may assert that tribo-fatigue is a new and thriving domain of mechanics.
We are eyewitnesses of amalgamation of single scientific disciplines into a new more general and complex discipline. This is another example of generalizing trends in the current stage of science evolution: from the particular to the general.
And now a few words about prospects in tribo-fatigue methodology. During the recent years, ideas of tribo-fatigue have been used to analyze life of biological objects, especially human being [8]. Life is considered as a specific mode of damage accumulation; foundations of quantitative analysis in dialectics have been developed. Thereby, tribo-fatigue becomes useful for the humanities.
Not long ago I have happened to see the first “toy from tribo-fatigue”; it was a wonderfully interesting mechanism for modelling of wear-fatigue damages. A theory of such modelling has not yet been created, hence, no “toys from tribo-fatigue” exist. But as I am acquainted with specialists in this domain, I am sure that such theory will be developed. An I hope that new and unexpectable for the present results will be obtained.
4 Tribo-Fatigue: 2005
I said in my report [9] at the 5th International Symposium on Tribo-Fatigue (Irkutsk, 2005): I am written these words not as a detached observer and not as a specialist who investigates history of science, but as a direct participant of main events related to origin, evolution, and formation of a new science, i. e. tribo-fatigue.
Belarus has become the cradle of tribo-fatigue. However, Moscow, Beijing, and Kiev also made very much for its maturation and recognition by the community of scientists and engineers. Nevertheless, Gomel was and has remained for two decades the starting point on the path of tribo-fatigue: here fundamental experiments were carried out, new concepts were formulated, and fundamental theoretical results were obtained. Here, at the Belarus State University of Transport the first unforgettable International Symposium on Tribo-Fatigue was organized in 1993 [10] and tribo-fatigue got full-grown status of a learning discipline for future mechanical engineers [11]. Finally, it was just Gomel where at the Production Association “GOMSELMASH” the first industrial laboratory on tribo-fatigue was created. All this is based on indubitable merit of Prof. L. A. Sosnobskyi, whose 75th anniversary we observed last year 2010, like the 25th anniversary of the birth of tribo-fatigie.
I would like to pay readers’ attention to brief paper [12], which was issued at the “beginning” of tribo-fatigue path in 1990 and which became a program document of evolution of tribo-fatigue. Below I quote a passage from this work.
«…evolution of up-to-date engineering poses a new urgen problem for science – a problem of complex assessment of the limiting state of units that are characterized by various combinations of damagind phenomena; such units are called tribo-fatigue systems …
…in general case complex assessment of the damage and limiting state of tribo-fatigue systems of modern machinery can be made based on a principally new approach… Such approach should comprise corresponding achievements in the theory of reliability of mechanical systems, tribology, fatigue fracture mechanics, erosion fracture mechanics, mechanics of contunua, mechanics of continuous and local damage, materials science, physics, chemistry, and thermodynamics. The range of objects of study here is vast: any modern machine contains at least one tribo-fatigue system, whose serviceability depends on the above phenomena. From the practical viewpoint, the aim is to solve the problem of a great economical significance, i. e. reduction of labour, cost, and material consumption for production and maintenance of modern machinery and simultaneous improvement of their service reliability.
The new approach to complex assessment of tribo-fatigue systems using the above criteria is called tribo-fatigue. It corresponds to one of the main trends of modern evolution of sciences, i. e. Integration of single sciences that deal with particular objects or phnomena into complex sciences, which deal with an interrelated unity or system of objects or phenomena.
Evolution of tribo-fatigue, like any science, will be governed, first of all, by formulation and solution of complex theoretical problems of great practical significance. In addition, it is necessary to carry out extensive experimental studies to find corresponding regularities of resistance of materials under conditions of multicomponent effect and estimate the accuracy of theoretical dependences. Vast experimental studies are possible provided that a new class of testing equipment, i. e. machines for wear-fatigue testing of materials and units under conditions close to operating ones…
…As for theoretical results, some most general problems can be pointed out, in our opinion. It is believed that the following measures will be necessary:
1) a new approach to subsequent evolution of particular sciences – tribology, fatigue fracture mechanics, and erosion fracture mechanics – to provide their close interaction…
2) to perceive, how study of particular sciences and their evolution due to interaction, can yield a qualitatively new result – complex criteria of serviceability of tribo-fatigue systems;
3) to provide such unity of analysis and synthesys and such profound unity of particular sciences, which would substantiate development of tribo-fatigue as a whole with its proper united features…
4) to develop general principles for elucidating role of methods and criteria of particular sciences for estimating damage and the limiting state of state of real objects that operate under certain conditions…
5) to implement a system approach to optimal design of tribo-fatigue systems by criteria of tribo-fatigue with account for the effect of all the variety of governing factors on their serviceability;
6) to formulate and solve a problem of optimization of tribo-fatigue systems to provide their requited life with minimal consumption of labour, cost, and materials in domains of production and maintenance…».
Time has shown that program document [12] turned to be perspicacious and vital: essentially, all subsequent 15 years was devoted to implementation of problems formulated in the document. We refer readers to papers [3, 9, 13, 14] for concrete study results.
The symposium in Irkutsk has become, in my opinion, not only the next but a jubilee milestone in histry of tribo-fatigue: five symposia, the 20th anniversary of tribo-fatigue, and the 70th anniversary of its founding father.
In this connection I would like to tell about one episode, which happened during the 4th International Symposium on Tribo-Fatigue in Ternopol. Following the tradition established at the International Symposium on Tribo-Fatigue in 1996 in Moscow, the event was completed by investiture of Honorary Diplomas “For Contribution to Tribo-Fatigue”. At that moment one of the participants D. Sci., Prof. G. V. Tsybanev asked for the floor and made an unexpectable offer: to awars such a diploma to Prof. L. A. Sosnovskyi. Prof. Sosnovskyi made a grounded objection: he paid attention of participants to the fact that he signed the diplomas together with other chairmen, so that it was improperly to award himself. The “problem” was immediately solved. The name of Prof. Sosnovskyi was inserted into the blank, which was signed overleaf by representatives of various organizations that participated actively the symposium. The photo of this unusual document presented here one can see not only the signatures but also a figurative estimate: “To a romantic from the science highway”. I believe that it is the highest honour and award for a scientist to merit such recognition of the colleagues.
5 Some Results of Evolution of Tribo-Fatigue: 2010
Let me repeat: some materials about history of tribo-fatigue can be found in papers [3, 9, 13, 14]. A set of statements of famous scientists and organizers of tribo-fatigue will be issued to the coming jubilee symposium and chronology of stages of evolution of tribo-fatigue will be presented. The chronology comprises only the events, which can be characterized as pioneering ones. Readers will see that we come to the next “double“ jubilee – 25 years of evolution of tribo-fatigue and the 75th anniversary of its founding father – with spectacular progress.
I would like to recollect organization stages of evolution of tribo-fatigue. First there was the Scientific-Production Association “TRIBO-FATIGUE”, Ltd., which exists nowadays. Subsequently, the Tribo-Fatigue Laboratory was established under the double authority (Research Center of Problems in Mechanics of Machines of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Head Special Design Bureau of the Production Association “GOMSELMASH”). It was established under the auspices of Academician M. S. Vysotskii and D. Sc. V. A. Shurinov. The next step was the Tribo-Fatigue Laboratory of the Joint Institute of Machine Building (established under the auspices of Academician M. S. Vysotskii), the Laboratory of Dynamics, Strength, and Wear Resistance of the Ya. Kupala Grodno State University (created by D. Sc. A. V. Bogdanovich), and the Industrial Laboratory of Wear-Fatigue Testing (created by the director general of the Production Association “GOMSELMASH” Ph. D. (Eng.) V. A. Zhmailik). And, finally, four years ago Academician P. A. Vityaz, Corresponding Member L. G. Krasnevskii, Ph. D. (Eng.) V. A. Zhmailik, Prof. V. I. Senko, and Prof. L. A. Sosnovskyi advanced a proposal to establish the Inter-Agency Laboratory “Tribo-Fatigue”, which joins specialsits from science, industry, and education (the Joint Institute of Machine Building of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the Belarus State University of Transport, the Production Association “GOMSELMASH”, the Ya. Kupala Grodno State University, the Brest State Technical University, the Republican Unitary Enterprise “GOMELTRANSNEFT DRUZHBA”, and the Republican Unitary Enterprise “Head Special Design Bureau for Grain and Forage Combines”) to solve urgent interdisciplinary problems. The protocol on establishment of the Laboratory was signed by the President of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the Minister of Education of the Republic of Belarus, the Minister of Industry of the Republic of Belarus, and the Chairman of the State Committee for Science and Technologies of the Republic of Belarus.
By now, over 500 papers on tribo-fatigue have been published, over 20 books and monographs have been issued, and seven state standards have been developed, including three intergovernmental standards. Eighteen patents have been obtained and five tutorials for technical universities have been issued, including the two-volume course of lectures certified by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus. During the recent eight years, seven Ph. D. theses and one D. Sc. (A. V. Bogdanovich) have been defended. Five international symposia were organized in four countries (Gomel (1993), Moscow (1996), Beijing (2000), Ternopol (2002), and Irkutsk (2005)). One hundred and twenty scientists from various countries have been awarded with the Honorary Diploma “For Contribution to Tribo-Fatigue”, including 16 scientists from Belarus. Since 1996, the International Coordination Council on Tribo-Fatigue acts, which was established by Academies of Sciences of Belarus, Russia, and Ukrain (co-chairmen are N. A. Makhutov, L. A. Sosnovskiy, V. T. Troschenko, and Gao Wanczhen). A training course on tribo-fatigue has been introduced in five universities of Belarus (the Belarus State University of Transport, the Belarus State University, the Belarus State Technical University, and others); it is intended for future engineers and mathematicians-mechanicians. Full tutorial and methodological provision of the course has been developed.
6 On Prospects in Tribo-Fatigue
In 2007 the monograph “Mechanics of Wear-Fatigue Damage” by L. A. Sosnovskiy was published [15]. I think it is useful to give here the very capacious conclusion to this book.
«I know and readers see that something is presented in this book not in such strict manner as it has to be done from the viewpoint of mechanics and as I would like to do it. But I think that the benefit of this book is not in the fact how much it contains but in the issues following from its content.
Experimental mechanics of tribo-fatigue systems; problems of the theory of elasticity supplemented with consideration of local effects in the area of load application; problems of contact mechanics supplemented with the effect of various off-contact forces; a deformation approach to analysis of friction in tribo-fatigue systems; mechanics of local and wave-like damages as sources of the vibration-impact process (the troppy phenomenon); a complex of experimental and theoretical studies of diverse L-interactions in systems at any scale levels; the theories of limiting and overlimiting (overcritical) states of systems and their elements; finally, mechanothermodynamics and, possibly, a united theory of evolution? And moreover: life as a specific mode of accumulation of damages – physical, biochemical, and intellectual?
A lot of work».
One can say here: “No comment”. I can only add with proud that I am happy to be involved, though little, in origination and evolution of tribo-fatigue.
7 Tribo-Fatigue for Mechanics and Machine Building
The above presented misses two elements, in my opinion. First, it is a question what is properly tribo-fatigue and what it gives to mechanics and machine building. In Paragraph 2 of the present paper I made an effort to answer briefly this question from the observer’s viewpoint; however, it seems to be necessary to elucidate this issue from the viewpoint of a specialist in tribo-fatigue. Second, the above text contains only an allusion to human factor, but I know that the process of evolution of tribo-fatigue was quite expressive (this was pointed out in Paragraph 2 of the present paper). I guess, I will be capable of fill these blanks partially by presenting the protocol made by Ph. D. V. N. Stukachev and Ph. D. V. A. Vereschagin. It is a conclusive speech of Prof. L. A. Sosnovskiy at the extended meeting of academic cuncils of two academic institutes, namely, the Research Center for Problems in Mechanics of Machines and the Institute of Reliability and Durability of Machines. It took place on January 27, 1996 in Minsk under the chaimanship of Academician M. S. Vysotskii and Corresponding Member O. V. Berestnev. A team of known scientists from the Russian Academy of Sciences headed by the Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Academician K. V. Frolov participated the meeting. Main results of studies on tribo-fatigue and problems of their development were discussed in accordance with the “Program of International Complex of Research and Development on Tribo-Fatigue” approved by Academies of Sciences of Russia, Belarus, and Ukrain in 1995. Below I present a citation of the conclusive speech.
“ON TRIBO-FATIGUE. Today is Satarday, a day off. Of course, everybody had its own weekend plans. It would be expected that in our vague time “another scientific meeting” will be of little interest, especially as it was announced only one or two days before, while one may plan its weekend during a few weeks. However, the hall is full, we have been working already more than two hours and no one said: “Please, order a recess!” The reason is that all of us came here to listen to each other and know something new. Your questions and speeches gave no less interesting information to those present than the report. Today the words of great Gete are consonant with our mood: "If one invents something itself, it is remarkabke, but if one understands and appreciates the things created by others, it is not less important than its own inventions". And another his idea that is close to us now: "To listen to another’s opinions is almost the same as to visit other countries and epoches".
In conclusion I would like to speak a few words about tribo-fatigue.
During recent years, some tribologists consider tribo-fatigue as a direction of tribology only. Some strength scientists treat it as one of directions in fatigue fracture mechanics or, that is the same, in strength of materials. Indeed, these tribologists consider tribo-fatigue as their own science more ardently than strength scientists. The reason is simple: the well-known term “tribo” meaning friction (from Greek) occupies the honorary first position in the word “tribo-fatigue”. Whereas “fatigue” occupies the minor position. Really, in general sense, the terms making up the word “tribo-fatigue” are of equal right and meaning.
Tribo-fatigue relates to tribology no more than to fatigue fracture mechanics. For example, the direct effect can be studied by strength scientists, while the back effect can be studied by tribologists. Alteration of interests is inconceivable: tribologists are not interested in the fatigue strength of a crankpin, whereas strength scientists do not deal with the wear rate of the sliding bearing in a connecting rod head. However, significances of these effects are close: both decrease in the endurance limit under the effect of friction forces and increase in the wear rate under the effect of cyclic stresses 1.2–2 times are a common thing. A specific difference of experts in tribo-fatigue from tribologists and strength scientists is that they are worried by both factors – the direct and back effects.
This yields substantial differences in experimental methods and testing equipment used. Tribologists develop and apply methods and machines for testing materials and models of friction units under various conditions of contact, specialists in fatigue fracture mechanics develop and use methods and machines for testing materials and structure elements under various conditions of cyclic loading, while specialists in tribo-fatigue create methods and machines for wear-fatigue testing of materials and models of tribo-fatigue systems. The difference is as follows: friction machines are unsuitable for studying the fatigue resistance, machines for fatigue testing are inapplicable for studying friction and wear processes, whereas machines for wear-fatigue testing are applicable for investigating both factors as well as carrying out complex testing under various combinations of contact and cyclic loads.
It is known that theory rests upon experiment. That’s why tribologists are based on their experience and deals only with contact mechanics and strength scientists are based on their experience and investigate only mechanics of deformation and fracture. Specialists in tribo-fatigue deal with both issues, moreover, in their indissoluble unity. It is for this reason that both have their specific objects of study: strength scientists investigate single structure elements, tribologists study friction units, and specialists in tribo-fatigue deal with tribo-fatigue systems.
Let us speak now of aims. The main aim of scientists in fatigue fracture mechanics is to fight against fatigue failures; prediction and prevention of such failures is the summit of their achievements. The main task of tribologists is to fight against wear; attainment of almost wearless friction is the culmination of their desires. The main aim of specialists in tribo-fatigue is to control over processes of wear-fatigue damage in order to provide the optimal – from the engineering and economical viewpoint – life of a certain tribo-fatigue system. They try to use both wear and fatigue damage during operation of an article to prolong its life. The matter is simple. Tribologists consider cyclic stresses as a damaging factor фактоp. Strength scientists, in their turn, consider wear as a damaging factor. Specialists in tribo-fatigue believe that friction, wear, and fatigue are the phenomena, whose kinetic interaction, depending on conditions, may result in either acceleration of material degradation or almost spontaneous and long retaining of the material carrying capacity. Understanding of conditions and mechanisms of these processes yields a simple key for control over them.
Traditional design of a machine included and includes now calculation of main (particular) parts for strength and wear resistance as the most important element. Specialists in tribo-fatigue believe that the moment came to create methods of calculating and designing mechanical systems, i. e. the above parts but with account for their real interaction. A new principle of designing the most important tribo-fatigue systems of machines will allow one to estimate more accurately and to provide with minimal cost the required operational reliability.
It is always difficult at the interface of sciences: it is too much new and often unusual, too hard is pressure of old and, as a rule, already ineffective, and chains of traditional thinking are terrible! Who will the winner? There is no such a question now; perhaps, all is predetermined. There are possessed that suffer much from foul envy of ones, from stupid incomprehension of others, and from barefaced counteraction of both, but especially, from indifference of many. Indifferent people do not lend a helping hand, when one falls, but they hold both hadns without saying a word to get something one can give them, though it would be useless for them... how diverse and contradictory is the nature of human being! Otherwise progress would not take place.
In distant future, all will end – sorrow of envious people, cobwebs of fools, swampy rest of indifferent persons, and trepidation of possessed people. But the things that weer born and passed through them in struggle will alive. And that is good».
…I sure that some day hisory of tribo-fatigue will be written that will study all aspects of its origin, formation, and evolution; I think that due attention will be paid in it to fight of opinions and human factor.
…It occurred that my report consists of the Russian and English texts. The known logo of tribo-fatigue also uses these languages. However, I think that Cinese would be also used in the logo of tribo-fatigue since from 2000 China has become the first higly intelligent country on way of tribo-fatigue in the far abroad. This jubilee symposium shows that the most representative team from abroad is the delegation of Chinese scientists headed by Prof. Gao Wanczeng, a co-chairman of the International Council of Tribo-Fatigue. I believe that the Council would accept my offer officially.
References
[1] GOST 30638–1999. Tribo-fatigue. Terms and definitions, Minsk, 1999, 17 p.
[2] Sosnovskiy L. А. “О комплексной оценке надежности силовых систем”, Abstr. of Republican Scientific and Technical Conference, Minsk, November 20–21, 1986, Minsk, 1986, p. 29.
[3] “Some words about tribo-fatigue» (Devoted to the decade of evolution of tribo-fatigue studies and the 60th anniversary of Prof. L. A. Sosnovskyi), edited and compiled by A. V. Bogdanovich, Authors: Strazhev, V. I., Frolov, K. V., Vysotsky, V. S., Troshchenko, V. T., Sosnovskiy, L. A., Makhutov, N. A., Kukharev, A. V., Gruntov, P. S., Starovoytov, E. I., Marchenko, V. A., Koreshkov, V. N., Shurinov, V. A., Botvina, L. R., Drozdov, Yu. N., Gorbatsevich, M. I., Pavlov, V. G., Efros, D. G., Gomel·Minsk·Moscow·Kiev, Remika, 1996. 132 p.
[4] II International Symposium on Tribo-Fatigue, Gomel, 1996, 7 p.
[5] Proc. of III Intern Symposium on Tribo-Fatigue, ISTF’2000, Oct. 22-26, 2000, Beijing, China, Ed. by Gao Wanzhen and Li Jian, China, 2000, 653 p.
[6] Sosnovskiy, L. А., Troschenko, V. Т., Makhutov, N.А., Wanzheng, Gao, Bogdanovich, А. V., and Scherbakov, S. S. “Wear-Fatigue Damages and Their Prediction (Tribo-Fatigue)”, Gomel, Kiev, Moscow, Ukhan, 2001, 171 p.
[7] Bibliographic list of publications on tribo-fatigue for the period 1985–2000. Compiled by Eseeva, T., Tyurin, S., S&P Group TRIBOFATIGUE, Gomel, 2001, 25 p.
[8] Sosnovskiy, L. A. Tribo-Fatigue: Dialectics of Life, TRIBO-FATIGUE R&P Group, Gomel, 1999, 116 pp.
[9] Kukharev А. V. «To History of Tribo-Fatigue: First Two Decades», ISTF 2005 (Proc. 5th International Symposium on Tribo-Fatigue, October 3-7, 2005, Irkutsk, Russia), Irkutsk, Irkutsk State University of Communications, 2005, vol. 1, 7-14.
[10] “Friction. Wear. Fatigue”, Abstr. of International Symposium on Tribo-Fatigue, Gomel, September, 1993, Ed.. by. L. А. Sosnovskiy, Gomel, 1993, 121 pp.
[11] Sosnovskiy, L. A. Fundamentals of tribo-fatigue. Belgut, Gomel, 2003, Vol. 1, 246 pp., Vol. 2, 234 pp.
[12] Frolov К. V., Sosnovskiy L. А., Makhutov N. А., and Drozdov Yu. N. «Tribo-Fatigue: New Ideas in Promising Direction », Gomel, Belarus Institute of Railway Transport Engineers, 1990. 7 pp.
[13] Kukharev, A. V. “Some stages of progress of tribo-fatigue”, ISTF 2000 (Proc. of the III International Symposium on Tribo-Fatigue, Beijing, China, October 22-26, 2000, Beijing), 2000, 179-182.
[14] Kukharev А. V. “Some Stages of Evolution and Prospects in Tribo-Fatigue”, ISTF 2002 (Proc. tf 4th International Symposium on Tribo-Fatigue, September 23-27, 2002, Ternopol, Ukraine), Ternopol, 2002, V. 1, pp. 72-78.
[15] Sosnovskiy L.A. «Mechanics of Wear-Fatigue Damage», Gomel, Belarus State University of Transport, 2007, 434 p.