Effect of loading system inertia on tribological behaviour of ceramic–ceramic, ceramic–metal and metal–metal dry sliding contacts

•Device enables to study the effect of loading system inertia.•Loading system inertia has effect on wear rate, COF and vibration level.•Inertia has effect on wear debris compaction.•Wear debris entrapment and compaction may provide self-healing.•Location of the disk plane influence the wear rate of hard coatings.

Machine dynamics can contribute to a difference between results in coefficient of friction, vibration level and wear rate of the same tribo-couple concerning the compliance of the support provided to a sliding counterbody. The aim of the present work is revealing the effect of loading system inertia on laboratory tests results. A developed pendulum-type tribo-tester was used for testing ceramic–ceramic, ceramic–metal and metal–metal sliding contact combinations. Diamond-like, AlTiN, TiCN and AlCrN/Si3N4 PVD coatings and bare EN X30WCrV9-3 steel disks were tested against yttria-stabilized zirconia and EN 100Cr6 steel balls. Discussion on the mechanisms of materials degradation is based on SEM and EDS observations. It was found that inertia of loading system influences compaction of wear debris.