Automated, modular four ball tester to be showcased at STLE Atlanta, USA

Paltro will display its automated modular, Four Ball Tester (FBT-3) at the 2025 STLE annual meetings at Atlanta, USA. This benchtop instrument precisely measures friction, wear, scuffing and shear stability of lubricants and additives as per ASTM/CEC/DIN/ISO standards. FBT-3 offers the widest range of loads, speeds and temperature control for evaluation of next-gen ultralow viscosity electrical vehicle (EV) lubricants and high viscosity industrial lubricants.

Equipped with a unique, hybrid loading mechanism, the system can accurately apply loads from 5 kg to 1000 kg giving unparalleled flexibility for testing lubricant performance beyond the standards. Friction can be precisely measured across the entire range using our patented force measurement setup. (Access the article - New methods for evaluating friction and wear performance of ultralow viscosity EV lubricants).

FBT-3 features a proprietary direct drive motor with variable speed and speed ramp up time control that provides reliable weld load and load wear index data for high weld load oils and greases (³ 400 kg) required for HPM certification. (Access the article - HPM certification and effect of speed ramp up on weld load). 

Wear can be directly captured post-test with the compact digital image acquisition system (IAS) without disturbing the balls. An advanced AI-enabled tool can auto-detect the wear scar boundaries making measurements repeatable and reliable.

The KRL shear stability attachment complying with CEC L-45-99 and DIN 51350-6 is a quick and fast module to the four ball tester with a robust thermal management system. The system maintains temperature stability at 60 °C for oils with viscosity as low as 5 cSt to oils having viscosities of 680 cSt or more. 

Automated operation, preloaded test protocols, automation in wear scar measurements and wide capabilities (loads upto 1000 kg speed upto 3000 rpm, temperature upto 200 °C), reduce operator effort and variability, making the FBT-3 a necessity and workhorse for lubricant development, benchmarking and quality control.