A comprehensive study of the performances of PVD WC/C-coated racing gears

In this work a preliminary data set including experimental results from fatigue tests on smooth and foreign object damaged (FOD) aluminium samples coated with WC/C deposited with PVD (physical vapour deposition) technique was considered before testing WC/C-coated spur gears for racing motorcycles under rolling contact fatigue (RCF). The fatigue behaviour of the samples was correlated with the results obtained with the RCF tests on the coated gears. A special device mounted on a universal testing machine was used to carry out the RCF tests.