Abstract

Combined rolling-sliding contact is present in popular non-linear systems such as cam-follower, gears, clutches,
and brakes. These systems produce significant noise due to complex contact between the components during
operation. The noise generated is a strong function of the contact parameters and excitation to the system. The
objective of this study is to develop a transfer function to quantify the vibro-acoustic noise for various contact
conditions. Acceleration, reaction forces, and acoustic pressure measurements are made on a cam-follower setup
with combined rolling-sliding contact. Experiments are performed under different conditions of friction,
lubrication, load, and speed. Contact forces are back-calculated using the kinematics. The transfer function relating
the acoustic pressure to different forces is estimated. It is observed that the contact parameters govern the
transfer function and hence the vibro-acoustic systems. The developed transfer function is useful in designing
better sub-systems with combined rolling-sliding contact to reduce noise exposure, as a direct technique to relate
the contact parameters to the noise does not exist. This study can be extended to other complex systems such as
gears and clutches.