ASTM G 194 : 2025

1.1.1Steel balls on a surface plate were used in interlaboratory tests (see Appendix X1). Golf balls on a green, soccer and lacrosse balls on playing surfaces, bowling balls on a lane, basketballs on hardwood, and marbles on a composite surface were tested in the development of this test method, but the test applies to any specimen rolling on any rolling surface.

1.1.2The rolling friction of specimens on rolling surfaces is affected by many factors, including specimen’s stiffness, radius of curvature, surface texture, the presence of films on the surface, and the nature of the rolling surface. This test method takes all of these factors into consideration. The specimen of interest is rolled on the rolling surface of interest using a standard ramp to initiate rolling and standard techniques are used to measure and treat the rolled distance after leaving the ramp.

1.1.3This test method produces a rolling resistance number for a specific specimen on a specific rolling surface. It is intended for comparing similar tribosystems. For example, the rolling resistances of marbles on a particular surface are not to be compared with the rolling resistance of soccer balls on grass, because their masses and diameters are very different as are the rolling surfaces on which they roll.

1.1.4Different launch ramps are appropriate for different types of specimens. If a specimen of interest cannot be accommodated with using one of the launch ramps discussed in Appendix X1 and Appendix X2, a different launch ramp can be developed and added with future revisions to this test method.