Abstract

The relevance of the centralised acquisition of test material needed within the SFB and the quality assurance carried out for this material is discussed. Results from quality inspections for components from commercial ceramic materials are reported to demonstrate this relevance. The surface characteristics of these components are compared to surfaces resulting from hard machining operations, carried out under defined conditions in the own laboratory. From the applied mechanical examinations, the crack growth behaviour of Al2O3 evaluated by various methods is compared. Finally, the raw part production and also the hard machining of test series from newly developed sialon ceramics is presented. These materials are considered for sliding applications.