Instrumentação, automação e desenvolvimento de interface para um tribômetro de ensaios em componentes de motores de combustão

Abstract

Over the decades, tribometers have undergone significant technological advancements, following progress in materials science, automation, and data analysis. Initially, these devices were mechanical and manually operated, with measurements limited to basic friction and wear tests. This work consists of developing an instrumentation and automation project for a tribometer designed to perform sliding tests on samples of internal combustion engine components. Using equipment such as a stepper motor, a piezoresistive load cell, and an Arduino®, the sizing of components such as cables, power supplies, and a step-down converter was carried out. In addition, a program was developed to handle data storage and provide a user interface. This interface allows the operation of the equipment, the input of parameters, the automation of tests, and the visualization of measurements through indicators and graphs. The foundation for developing the interface program is LabView® software, for which a license has already been acquired.