Current State of Fretting Fatigue Test Fixtures: A Review

Choosing a right fretting fatigue test fixture that can be used to correctly estimate the fretting crack initiation and propagation in components during service plays a key role in defining the accuracy of service life prediction. This paper presents a comprehensive review of several fretting fatigue test fixtures designed by the researchers in the last two and a half decades after categorizing them into three major categories: bridge‐type fixtures, fixtures designed to clamp fretting pads with flat specimens, and fixtures designed to investigate dovetail joints. These have been analyzed with respect to their construction, operation, contact pair's geometry and material, the contact configuration, the test apparatus, advantages, and limitations. This study provides useful information to the researchers for choosing the right test fixture among the existing ones and for designing an improved test fixture with enhanced investigation and control capabilities.