--- title: Four Ball Tester description: Four ball tester or FBT-3 tribometer is used to test wear preventive, extreme pressure, load wear index, incipient seizure and wear scar of lubricants. image: https://lp.ducom.com/hubfs/DUCOM/Products/Four%20Ball%20Tester%20(FBT-3)/FBT-3%20Images%20and%20Videos/FBT-3%20full%20image.png --- [![Ducom Instruments - Logo](https://lp.ducom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Ducom%20-%20Logo%20-%20Full%20-%20Vector%20(90%20Gray%20and%20Light%20Blue-Inverted)%20-%20PNG.png?width=925&height=246&name=Ducom%20-%20Logo%20-%20Full%20-%20Vector%20(90%20Gray%20and%20Light%20Blue-Inverted)%20-%20PNG.png "Ducom Instruments - Logo")](https://www.ducom.com?hsLang=en) - Products - Tribology - Petroleum - [Software and Artificial Intelligence Tools](https://www.ducom.com/digital) - [Test Lab](https://www.ducom.com/ducom-labs-testing-and-consulting-services) - Resources - [Tribology Discussions](https://lp.ducom.com/tribology-discussions) - [Blog](https://blog.ducom.com) - Company - [About Us](https://www.ducom.com/about-ducom-instruments) - [Locations](https://www.ducom.com/company-contact-us) - Support - [After Sales Support](https://www.ducom.com/support) - [Instrument Service Plans](https://www.ducom.com/instrument-service-plan) ![FBT-3 full image](https://lp.ducom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DUCOM/Products/Four%20Ball%20Tester%20(FBT-3)/FBT-3%20Images%20and%20Videos/FBT-3%20full%20image.png?width=1920&height=1080&name=FBT-3%20full%20image.png "FBT-3 full image") FOUR BALL TESTER     (FBT-3)   **Fully compliant to EP and WP test standards, Compact, desktop and automated, Preloaded standard test protocols** #### [REQUEST A QUOTE](https://lp.ducom.com/en/product-fbt-3#Get-A-Quote) ## touchscreen interface and data acquisition The FBT-3 comes with an inbuilt touch screen interface with an IP65 rating to handle the demanding laboratory environment. Coupled with state-of-the-art data acquisition hardware and electronics, the FBT-3 can handle the most demanding testing applications in its small and compact form factor. ![FBT3_Touch screen](https://lp.ducom.com/hubfs/DUCOM/Products/Four%20Ball%20Tester%20(FBT-3)/FBT-3%20Images%20and%20Videos/FBT3_Touch%20screen.gif "FBT3_Touch screen") #### INDUSTRY LEADING FEATURES AND TECHNOLOGIES Powerful Capabilities. Easy to Use. ## FOUR BALL TESTER BECOMES SMART AND COMPACT Robust tabletop instrument designed to be the workhorse of lubricant labs. The new FBT-3 occupies a small space (40 x 60 x 85 cm). It is designed to characterize the wear preventive (WP) and extreme pressure (EP) properties of lubricants. It is comprised of pneumatic chambers, piston, and normal load sensor, they work in tandem to achieve the user defined load controls. Automated loading is much appreciated in determining load wear index and incipient seizure load. As it carries a simplified test setup and intuitive software interface, you can run up to 15 EP tests per hour. The control and data acquisition system are designed for full touch compatibility. ## ASTM, DIN, IP COMPLIANT Ducom FBT-3 is compatible to achieve a maximum load of 12000 N, maximum speed of 3000 rpm and maximum temperature of 200 °C. It can comply with ASTM, DIN and IP test standards for WP and EP behavior of any lubricants. Check out the FBT-3 performance ([ASTM on Tribology Lab Performance](https://blog.ducom.com/astmptp?hsLang=en)). ![Fig. 4](https://lp.ducom.com/hubfs/Fig.%204.png "Fig. 4") ## state of the art patented technology Patented friction force measurement technology for unparalleled measurement accuracy. Rapidly increasing lubricant quality standards demand the use of more sensitive measurement techniques to evaluate lubricants, and FBT-3 delivers on this.  ## [Thermal Management Unit](https://blog.ducom.com/fbt-200degc?hsLang=en) Oils and greases in critical machine elements operates at temperatures above 200 °C. An optional advanced thermal management system in the FBT-3 allows tests on lubricant up to 200 °C. Read more about the [novel thermal management unit in four ball tester](https://blog.ducom.com/fbt-200degc?hsLang=en).  ![FBT3 at 200 degC](https://lp.ducom.com/hubfs/FBT3%20at%20200%20degC.gif "FBT3 at 200 degC") ![FBT UI](https://lp.ducom.com/hubfs/DUCOM/Products/Four%20Ball%20Tester%20(FBT-3)/FBT-3%20Images%20and%20Videos/FBT%20UI.gif "FBT UI") ## intuitive user interface (UI) The control and data acquisition system are designed for full touch compatibility. The pre-configured test protocols allow users with minimal training to still set up tests that follow the desired standards. The software also allows easy customization of test protocols when your needs exceed the scope of standard test procedures. ## unique image acquisition sysytem (ias) The inconvenience of removing each ball from the ball pot, followed by trial - error method to focus and measure the ball wear scar is made obsolete. The Image Acquisition System can house the entire ball pot after EP and WP tests. It comes complete with integrated camera, optics, lighting, and software. The integrated smart scar measurement technology (available on select systems) can assist users in wear scar area calculation, greatly improving quality of measurements. ![Image-Acquisition-System-FBT-3-Standalone](https://lp.ducom.com/hubfs/DUCOM/Products/Four%20Ball%20Tester%20(FBT-3)/Website%20-%20Four%20Ball%20Tester%20(FBT-3)/Image-Acquisition-System-FBT-3-Standalone.png "Image-Acquisition-System-FBT-3-Standalone") ## MOOHA - THE DIGITAL ASSISTANT FOR YOUR LAB MOOHA is an A.I. enabled digital assistant that can be used together with, or in place of your Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). It has powerful device management, reporting, statistics and support functionalities.  [MOOHA](https://lp.ducom.com/digital?hsLang=en) is a digital assistant that can help with keeping your lab instruments in excellent health, and your test data secure and easily accessible. Its built-in automatic logging and reporting functions keep data tamper proof and reliable and complete logbook of your instrument is automatically generated while maintaining secure and automated audit trails. ###### MOOHA is available on desktop and mobile platforms. [![MOOHA - Device Management](https://lp.ducom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DUCOM/Products/Mooha%204.0/Videos%20and%20Images/MOOHA%20-%20Device%20Management.png?width=3206&name=MOOHA%20-%20Device%20Management.png "MOOHA - Device Management")](https://lp.ducom.com/digital?hsLang=en) ### Automatic Scar Prediction ## THE POWER OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (A.I.) Every FBT-3 test is concluded by measuring the wear scar on the test specimens. This has so far been the most manual aspect of the FBT-3 testing and prone to user errors and interpretation. The difficulty in visual observation of scars further increases the test variability. With our proprietary automatic scar prediction software, you can now harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) to **automatically** make **consistent and precise wear scar measurements**, overcoming the human error and greatly reducing the test variability. ![Fig. 10-1](https://lp.ducom.com/hubfs/Fig.%2010-1.png "Fig. 10-1") ## **Full compliance with global test standards** ![Compliance Icon](https://lp.ducom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Stock%20images/Licensed/Compliance%20Icon.png?width=142&name=Compliance%20Icon.png) **The FBT-3 is fully compliant with global standards for** **extreme** **pressure and wear preventive properties of lubricants. With test protocols embedded in the software, you can run tests in accordance with ASTM, DIN, ISO and IP at the click of a button. This means less user training requirements, fewer errors, and lower costs of operations.** --- - **EXTREME PRESSURE PROPERTIES** **ASTM D2783:** Standard Test Method for Measurement of Extreme-Pressure Properties of Lubricating Fluids (Four-Ball Method) **ASTM D2596:** Standard Test Method for Measurement of Extreme-Pressure Properties of Lubricating Grease (Four-Ball Method) **IP 239:** Determination of extreme pressure and anti-wear properties of lubricating fluids and greases - Four ball method (European conditions) **DIN 51350-2:** Testing of lubricants - Testing in the four-ball tester - Part 2: Determination of welding load of liquid lubricants **DIN 51350-4:** Testing of lubricants - Testing in the four-ball tester - Part 4: Determination of welding load of consistent lubricants **ISO 20623:2017:** Petroleum and related products — Determination of the extreme-pressure and anti-wear properties of lubricants — Four-ball method (European conditions) - **WEAR PREVENTIVE PROPERTIES** **ASTM D4172:** Standard Test Method for Wear Preventive Characteristics of Lubricating Fluid (Four-Ball Method) **ASTM D2266:** Standard Test Method for Wear Preventive Characteristics of Lubricating Grease (Four-Ball Method) **ASTM D5183:** Standard Test Method for Determination of the Coefficient of Friction of Lubricants Using the Four-Ball Wear Test Machine **DIN 51350-3:** Testing of lubricants - Testing in the four-ball tester - Part 3: Determination of wearing characteristics of liquid lubricants **DIN 51350-5:** Testing of lubricants - Testing in the four-ball tester - Part 5: Determination of wearing characteristics for consistent lubricants - [Technical Specifications](https://lp.ducom.com/en/product-fbt-3#tab6_sec1) - [Options and Consumables](https://lp.ducom.com/en/product-fbt-3#tab6_sec2) --- ###### Technical Specifications Speed: 300 to 3000 rpm Load: 100 to 10,000 N Friction Force: 0 to 200 N Friction Torque: 0 to 16 Nm Temperature: Up to 90 deg C (200 deg C is optional) ##### Need to discuss this with your team? Download this data sheet. [Technical Datasheet](https://lp.ducom.com/hubfs/DUCOM/Products/Four%20Ball%20Tester%20(FBT-3)/FBT-3%20Documents/DS%208%20-%20Four%20Ball%20Tester%20FBT3_Product%20Information%20Sheet_compressed.pdf?hsLang=en) --- ###### OPTIONS High temperature ball pot (ambient to 200 °C) MOOHA - Digital Lab Assistant  AI Wear Scar Prediction and Materials Library   --- ###### Consumables Test balls Ball collets Ball pots Reference fluids RL 209 and RL 268   # APPLICATIONS INCLUDE - Determine extreme pressure (EP), wear preventive (WP), frictional and fatigue behavior of lubricants. - Determine the incipient seizure and load wear index of lubricants. Check out our article on [On the mechanism of lubricant additives using four ball tester](https://blog.ducom.com/additiveperformance?hsLang=en) - Bench mark the lubricants against the competitors in the market. - Measure and compare the WP / EP of nanoparticles derived from carbon, metal oxide, sulphides, and nanocomposites. Check out our article on [How to investigate nanoadditives by NIS USA?](https://blog.ducom.com/nanoadditives?hsLang=en) - Compare the performance of lubricants at different loads, temperatures, base oils, additives, suppliers, etc. • Compare and estimate the deterioration of lubricant quality by comparing fresh and used oil. Check out our article on [Oil Aging: How to investigate the inevitable in the lab?](https://blog.ducom.com/oil-aging-how-to-investigate-the-inevitable-in-the-lab?hsLang=en) - Investigate the performance of polymeric materials in lubricants used to achieve better shear stability and minimize viscosity loss. - Lubrication efficacy of biodegradable/vegetable oils compared to mineral/synthetic base oils. ### Some of our customers [![Logos](https://lp.ducom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos.png?width=1491&name=Logos.png "Logos")](https://www.bundeswehr.de/de/) # TESTIMONIALS > "The WP and EP test data from Ducom FBT-3 were within the acceptable precision limits when compared to test data from other four ball manufacturers" > > Anonymous, UK > "Ducom has developed a superior four ball tester that complies with safety and productivity standards in Repsol." > > Carlos Fernandes Sanchez, Repsol S.A., Spain > "Few components in FBT-3 had to be replaced and then calibrated, it would take weeks due to Covid, Ducom sent us a calibrated four ball tester to continue the tests during the part replacement. It was much appreciated gesture" > > Anonymous - Netherlands ### [contact us for more information](https://lp.ducom.com/en/product-fbt-3#Get-A-Quote) [![Ducom Instruments - Logo](https://lp.ducom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Ducom%20-%20Logo%20-%20Full%20-%20Vector%20(90%20Gray%20and%20Light%20Blue-Inverted)%20-%20PNG.png?width=925&height=246&name=Ducom%20-%20Logo%20-%20Full%20-%20Vector%20(90%20Gray%20and%20Light%20Blue-Inverted)%20-%20PNG.png "Ducom Instruments - Logo")](https://www.ducom.com?hsLang=en) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ducom-instruments) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.youtube.com/ducomtribology) Follow us on Facebook [Follow us on Facebook](mailto:info@ducom.com) #### COMPANY - [About Us](https://www.ducom.com/about-ducom-instruments) - [Contact Us](https://www.ducom.com/company-contact-us) - [Careers](https://www.ducom.com/careers) #### Products & Services - [All Products](https://www.ducom.com/products-explorer) - [Test Services](https://www.ducom.com/ducom-labs-testing-and-consulting-services) - [Software Products](https://lp.ducom.com/digital) - [Become a Distributor](https://lp.ducom.com/distributor-training) #### After Sales Support - [Product Support](https://www.ducom.com/support) - [Service Plans](https://www.ducom.com/instrument-service-plan) #### Resources - [Blog](https://blog.ducom.com) - [Tribology Discussions](https://lp.ducom.com/tribology-discussions-1) - [e-Books](https://lp.ducom.com/-temporary-slug-4bd60c00-d187-4ae4-87fd-1f05975b4b99) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.ducom.com/privacy-policy) - [General Terms of Use](https://www.ducom.com/en/terms-of-use) - [General Terms of Sale](https://www.ducom.com/en/general-terms-of-sale) Copyright © 2020, Ducom Instruments (USA) Inc.