2014 STLE Annual Meeting

May 18-22, 2014

Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA

Friction Screening Test For Wet Multiple Disc Clutches With Paper Type Friction Material
Robert ACUNER1, Hermann PFLAUM1, Karsten STAHL1
1

: Technische Universitaet Mnchen (TUM), Mechanical Engineering, Gear Research Center (FZG), Munich, Germany

Abstract: OEMs rising requirements on friction performance of wet multiple disc clutches and brakes can only be met
by development of new friction materials and lubricants. Due to the need of intensive testing the corresponding engineering process is costly and time consuming. This problem is picked up by a research project of Forschungsvereinigung Antriebstechnik e.V. (FVA) at the FZG (TU Mnchen) with the goal of a standardized short time test procedure which can be accepted both by suppliers and OEMs. A screening test for the determination of friction behavior of
wet multiple disc clutches with organic paper type friction materials has been developed as well as specific values for
the evaluation of the test. Within a few hours the friction behavior is tested under various load conditions and evaluated
with an excellent differentiation. Influences of load conditions and additive package on level of coefficient of friction
and tendency to shudder of the clutch are discussed by exemplary test results of proposed friction screening test.
Category: Engine & Drivetrain
Keywords: multiple disc clutch, wet clutch, friction screening test

1. INTRODUCTION
Wet multiple disc clutches are versatile power-shift devices in power trains. They are used as starting clutches in
dual clutch transmissions (DCT), as shift and converter
clutches in automatic transmissions (AT), in the industrial
application as heavy duty brakes, slipping clutches etc.
Friction behavior of each clutch is deeply influenced by
the tribo-system that consists of the friction material, the
steel plate and the lubricant and its additives [2],[3]. Paper
type friction materials in combination with appropriate
lubricants can provide smooth shifting performance for
high comfort applications such as vehicle transmissions.
SAE test specifications [4],[5],[6],[7] for wet clutches are
complex and not suitable for actual friction testing. These
tests mix up friction and endurance/durability behavior as
they are run until the clutch fails. Furthermore they are
not flexible because they are linked to one special test rig
using absolute speeds and axial forces, and they are difficult to handle as the test rig setup has to be changed within the test.
The development of new friction materials and lubricants/additives requires an easy to use, flexible and fast
test procedure. The proposed standardized short time
screening test can be used to sort out a small number of
good candidates within a range of fluids/materials for
long time durability tests [1].

steel and 2 friction plates (4 friction surfaces) with a specific oil flow of 2.5 mm/mms (2.8 liter/min) at 80C.
The plates are lubricated at 80C for 1 hour before the test
starts. The cycle time is set to 15 seconds with the clutch
being engaged for 5 seconds.
For the development of the test procedure a serial ATF
fluid was used. Further modell-fluids with different additive packages were investigated with the proposed friction
screening test, see Table 1.

Test-Clutch

Figure 1: KLP-260 clutch test rig

2. TEST RIG, PARTS AND LUBRICANTS

The tests were run on the clutch test rig KLP-260, shown
in Figure 1. The KLP-260 is an easy to handle clutch test
rig in brake application. The central shaft has different fly
wheels in a variable set up and is driven by an electric
engine to set speed. The inner plates of the clutch are
linked the shaft, the outer plates to the housing. By engaging the clutch the shaft is decelerated to standstill while
axial force, friction torque and speed are measured and
coefficient of friction (CoF) is calculated by evaluation
software. Lubrication is done by injection lubrication into
the center of the clutch.
A typical paper type friction lining in a comparably small
size of DKA 120/142.8 mm (inner/outer friction diameter), see Figure 2, was used. The test-setup included 3

Fly wheel
(shiftable)

Figure 2: Friction plates

Fly wheels
(variable)

Modell-fluid 12
Modell-fluid 13
Modell-fluid 14
Modell-fluid 0
Table 1: Lubricants

3. FRICTION SCREENING TEST

The proposed friction screening test consists of a specially
designed running-in procedure and a repeated variation of
load stages for the actual determination of friction behavior.
For the evaluation of friction performance target load
parameters were set in advance, see Table 3. This pressure-speed-variation (p-v-variation) contains 9 load stages
at 3 pressures and 3 sliding speeds. With friction behavior
changing significantly during running-in, the task of the
designed running-in procedure is to provide a finished
steady state in the clutch regarding friction behavior. That
means that the friction behavior must not change by repeating the p-v-variation (p-v-1, p-v-2, ). The results of
various tests clearly showed that this is only possible if
the highest load within the test (LS9) is run already in the
running-in. Otherwise conditioning effects on all load
stages occurred in the second/third/ run of the p-vvariation; friction performance was not stable yet and
could not reliably be determined.

E1
100
0.5
E2
100
0.5
E3
200
1
E4
200
1.5
E5
20
1
Table 2: Running-in

5
10
10
15
5

Friction
loss q
/ J/mm

Pressure p
/ N/mm

Cycles / -

Sliding
speed vg
/ m/s

5
0.09
10
0.35
15
0.80
5
0.09
10
0.35
15
0.80
5
0.09
10
0.35
15
0.80
p-v-variation for evaluation of

For the actual screening test the running-in and 2 p-vvariations (p-v-1, p-v-2) are to be run directly one after
another. Due to the very small deviations in CoF an excellent differentiation of results by the proposed screening
test procedure can be reached. In order to ensure the excellent differentiation the reproduction of p-v-1 and p-v-2
should be checked. Due to high cooling oil flow and medium loads damage of the clutch in the test can be ruled
out.
With a constant cycle time of 15 seconds the overall testing time is around 3.5 hours.

4. TEST EVALUATION
The evaluation of the friction curves produced by the test
is done by 2 specific values. The definitions are summarized in Figure 3 and can also be found in e.g. [8], [9].
The average coefficient of friction avg is defined as
arithmetic mean of CoF between 060% of initial maximum sliding speed vg,max. avg can be used to determine
the average transmittable torque at a set load condition
and is therefore also an indicator for shifting time.
The tendency of the clutch of inducing shudder-vibrations
depends on CoF at low speeds. If the CoF rises at the end
of the engagement (high static friction), the clutch is at
risk, if CoF decreases (low static friction), the clutch is
in a safe operation mode against shudder. The ratio 2/5
can differentiate this behavior, where 2 is CoF at 50 %
sliding speed and 5 is the maximum CoF at 0.10 %
sliding speed at the end of the engagement. If 2/5 is
above 1.0, the clutch will be in safe operation mode, if
below 1.0, the clutch will be potentially vulnerable to
shudder.

Friction
loss q
/ J/mm

/-

Sliding
speed vg
/ m/s

Pressure p
/ N/mm

Cycles / -

Load stage

By using the developed running-in procedure, see Table

2, and the p-v-variation according to Table 3, a stable
friction behavior in each load stage is ensured. The difference in average CoF avg (see below) between the repetition of p-v-variations (p-v-1, p-v-2) is below 1 %, in
higher load stages below 0.5 %. Reproduction tests with
new plates also show results with a deviation in a range of
0.51 % in CoF.

LS1 10
0.5
LS2 10
0.5
LS3 10
0.5
LS4 10
1
LS5 10
1
LS6 10
1
LS7 10
1.5
LS8 10
1.5
LS9 10
1.5
Table 3: Load stages of
friction behavior

2/5 < 1,0

2:
at 50% vg

Modell-fluid 10

Additive package
Serial
Dispersant
Rust Inhibitor
Friction Modifier + Detergent +
EP/AW
Friction Modifier + Dispersant +
EP/AW
EP/AW
Friction Modifier + Detergent +
Rust Inhibitor
Dispersant + EP/AW + Rust Inhibitor
Basestock

Load stage

Name
ATF
Modell-fluid 2
Modell-fluid 3
Modell-fluid 6

2/5 > 1,0

avg:
avg. CoF 060% vg

0.09
0.35
0.35
0.80
0.09

5:
max. 010% vg
0

10

vg / % vg,max
50

60

100

Figure 3: Specific values avg. CoF avg, 2, 5 and 2/5

5. EXEMPLARY TEST RESULTS

6. CONCLUSION

Average CoF avg of tested lubricants are shown in Figure

4, ratio 2/5 in Figure 5. The ATF with serial additive
package is characterized as best fluid with high average
CoF and relatively low static friction with 2/5 around
1.0. The other fluids have either low friction level or high
static friction.
Average CoF depends also on load with high CoF at low
pressures and vice versa. The CoF at low speeds is here
not depending on load parameters because a systematic
variation in ratio 2/5 cannot be found.
The single additives are strongly interacting. This can
exemplarily be shown with the friction modifier additive
(FM). FM is commonly used to decrease static friction.
Modell-fluids 6 and 13 contain FM and show relatively
low static friction (2/5 > 1.0), modell-fluid 10 contains
also FM and leads to relatively high static friction (2/5
< 1.0). All 3 modell-fluids contain 2 additional additive
components that clearly influence the performance of FM.

The friction behavior of wet clutches cannot be predicted

and requires intense testing especially when new friction
materials and lubricants are to be developed.
In a research project at FZG a flexible, easy to use screening test for the evaluation of friction performance of wet
clutches with paper type friction material has been developed. An especially designed running-in procedure ensures an excellent reproduction of test results allowing
precise differentiation of effects of friction materials or
lubricants on friction performance of the clutch.
The screening test can be run on different test rigs and
clutch sizes as the load parameters are defined as specific
values.

That results in friction behavior and the interactions of

additive components cannot be theoretically predicted
what stresses the need for an easy and reliable screening
test procedure.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The displayed results were achieved in a research project
sponsored by Forschungsvereinigung Antriebstechnik
e.V. (FVA, http://www.fva-net.de ). The authors wish to
thank FVA and the companies and their staff that supported the project.

0.16

avg / -

0.5 N/mm
0.15

1.0 N/mm

0.14

1.5 N/mm

LS1
LS2
LS3
LS4
LS5
LS6
LS7
LS8
LS9

0.13
0.12
0.11

ATF

MF14

MF13

MF12

MF10

MF6

MF3

MF2

MF0

0.10

Figure 4: Average CoF avg of tested lubricants

1.3
LS1
LS2
LS3
LS4
LS5
LS6
LS7
LS8
LS9

1.2

2/5 / -

1.1
1
0.9
0.8

Figure 5: Ratio 2/5 of tested lubricants

ATF

MF14

MF13

MF12

MF10

MF6

MF3

MF2

MF0

0.7

REFERENCES
[1] Acuner, R.: leinfluss Reibcharakteristik am Modell
nasslaufende Lamellenkupplung; Entwicklung eines
Reibungszahlkurztest. FVA-Heft 1051, 2013
[2] Layher, M.: Untersuchung der Einflsse von Grundl und Additivpaket auf die Reibcharakteristik und
das Reibschwingverhalten von nasslaufenden Lamellenkupplungen. FVA-Heft 897, 2009
[3] Layher, M.: Untersuchung der Einflsse von Grundl und Additivpaket auf das Reibungsverhalten von
Synchronisierungen. FVA-heft 898, 2009
[4] SAE Specification J2487: SAE No. 2 Friction Test
Machine 3600 r/min Stepped Power Test, USA,
2000
[5] SAE Specification J2488: SAE No. 2 Friction Test
Machine 8000 r/min Stepped Power Test, USA,
2000
[6] SAE Specification J2489: SAE No. 2 Friction Test
Durability Test, USA, 2000
[7] SAE Specification J2490: SAE No. 2 Friction Test
Machine Pvt Test, USA, 2000
[8] Hmmerl, B.: Lebensdauer- und Temperaturverhalten lgekhlter Lamellenkupplungen bei Lastkollektivbeanspruchung. Dissertation, TU Mnchen 1994
[9] Stahl, K., Pflaum, H., Hensel, M.: Methods for performance evaluation of lubricants and friction materials in wet multiple disc clutches in axle brake application. International VDI Congress Drivetrain for
Vehicles 2013, VDI-Berichte 2187, 2013