4.1 Fretting fatigue tests are used to determine the effects of several fretting parameters on the fatigue lives of metallic materials. Some of these parameters include differing materials, relative displacement amplitudes, normal force at the fretting contact, alternating tangential force, the contact geometry, surface integrity parameters such as finish, and the environment. Comparative tests are used to determine the effectiveness of palliatives on the fatigue life of specimens with well-controlled boundary conditions so that the mechanics of the fretting fatigue test can be modeled. Generally, it is useful to compare the fretting fatigue response to plain fatigue to obtain knockdown or reduction factors from fretting fatigue. The results may be used as a guide in selecting material combinations, design stress levels, lubricants, and coatings to alleviate or eliminate fretting fatigue concerns in new or existing designs. However, due to the synergisms of fatigue, wear, and corrosion on the fretting fatigue parameters, extreme care should be exercised in the judgment to determine if the test conditions meet the design or system conditions.

4.2 For data to be comparable, reproducible, and correlated amongst laboratories and relevant to mimic fretting in an application, all parameters critical to the fretting fatigue life of the material in question will need to be replicated. Because alterations in environment, metallurgical properties, fretting loading (controlled forces and displacements), compliance of the test system, etc. can affect the response, no general guidelines exist to quantitatively ascertain what the effect will be on the specimen fretting fatigue life if a single parameter is varied. To assure test results can be correlated and reproduced, all material variables, testing information, physical procedures, and analytical procedures should be reported in a manner that is consistent with good current test practices.

4.3 Because of the wear phenomenon involved in fretting, idealized contact conditions from which the fretting contact area and pressure may be calculated exist only at the onset of the test. Although it is still possible to calculate an average fretting pressure using the initial contact area, the pressure within the contact area may vary considerably.

4.4 Results of the fretting fatigue tests may be suitable for application to design when the test conditions adequately mimic the design service conditions.