Slitning

Slitning is a term used in Swedish engineering to describe the degradation of material surfaces caused by sliding contact and mechanical action. It covers various processes that remove or rearrange material, degrade surface quality, or reduce structural performance.

Common mechanisms include abrasive wear (hard particles plowing the surface), adhesive wear (material transfer between surfaces), and surface fatigue leading to micro-cracks and spalling. Fretting wear arises from small-amplitude oscillations at contact points and is often accompanied by corrosion.

Measurement and analysis typically involve quantifying wear by volume or mass loss, wear rate, and changes in surface topography measured with profilometry or microscopy. Fatigue-related slitning is studied with crack-growth data and, in research contexts, S-N curves.

Causes include contact stress, hardness and roughness mismatch, lubrication quality, misalignment, temperature, sliding speed, and the presence of abrasive particles.

Prevention and control strategies emphasize material and coating choices, lubrication optimization, proper assembly and alignment, and design measures to reduce contact stresses. Regular maintenance helps replace worn components before failure.

Applications of slitning concepts are widespread in tribology and mechanical engineering. They are particularly relevant for bearings, gears, cylinder liners, seals, piston rings, sliding guides, and other components where surfaces slide against each other under load.