Nondestructive evaluation techniques were employed to fully characterize three 2.3L camshafts tested in an engine simulator for an equivalent of 100,000 miles. Optical microscopy, acoustic microscopy (SAM), and profilometry were used to characterize wear and fatigue, crack depth, and surface roughness, respectively. Results show cracking to occur mainly in the opening ramp of the most abusively ground cam lobes. No clear evidence was found for subsurface cracking at depths as great as 200 μm from the lobe's surface. Profilometry results show no evidence of any major tribological effect due to the sliding friction of the follower. Fractography studies show a difference between fracture surfaces among the cracks examined; straight cracks exhibit features resembling fatigue propagation, while fracture surfaces from pitted cracks show a more brittle behavior. Small grinding cracks (approximately 300 μm in length) were found in the opening ramps of the most abusively ground lobes prior to testing. Knoop and Nanoindenter microhardness indicate a near-surface rehardening for the most abusively ground lobe (confirmed by metallography), and temper burn for the remaining lobes. X-ray residual stress results made in the opening ramp of the tested lobes show evidence of residual stress relaxation. X-ray line width data as a function of depth does not correlate with residual stress. / Master of Science

Boundary conditions in the roll gap play an important role in modelling of rolling processes. In the roll gap we can observe the following: changes of rolling pressure, changes of relative velocity, influences of oxides and lubrication, etc. When taking into account all conditions mentioned above the determination of the boundary conditions is not trivial and extensive measurements are necessary. Therefore, this thesis is dealing with design of temperature and force sensors specified for the determination of friction coefficient and heat transfer coefficient in contact. The temperature sensor with an installed thermocouple measures subsurface temperature for a given depth; and then the inverse heat conduction task is used to compute temperature and heat flux on the surface. Several temperature sensors were designed and used for measuring in pilot mill and industrial rolling mill as well. The thermal responses of different sensors were compared in the numerical simulations. The inverse calculations were tested for various rolling conditions. A durability of the sensors was also studied in industrial rolling conditions. The contact stresses in the roll gap were measured by a pin, which was in direct contact with the rolled material. The forces on the top of the pin were measured by a three-axes piezoelectric force transducer and recalculated to the contact stress and friction coefficient. The sensor was implemented in a work roll and tested when rolling aluminium and steel slab for different rolling conditions. The results were compared with the integrative force sensor ROLLSURF.