This study analyzes the influence of nine distinct texture geometries on a convergent oil film gap using a simulation model. The geometrical dimensions of the textures are characterized by the texture area density, $S_{tex.,A}$ and the ratio of the textured-to-untextured area ($A_{tex.}/A_0)$. The results show that different texture geometries optimize the tribological performance depending on the value of $S_{tex.,A}$. Rectangular textures with variable widths (85% of the texture length $a_{tex.}$) significantly enhance lifting and the drag force across a broad range of $S_{tex.,A}$. Furthermore, rectangular textures with a constant width (85% of the global width $b_0$) show the best improvement within this study. The investigation also reveals that a small texture pitch angle, ${\alpha }_{tex}$, further enhances tribological performance.

Reducing friction in the piston ring–cylinder liner contact is a key area for improving the efficiency of internal combustion engines. While tribological studies commonly focus on the top dead centre region using linear tribometers, the mid-stroke regime—with its higher sliding velocities—remains experimentally inaccessible to most conventional test methods. This study presents a rotating ring-on-liner tribometer that enables investigations at constant relative speed by transitioning the motion from oscillating to rotating. A cylindrical substitution geometry for the piston ring specimen is derived through a coupled elastohydrodynamic and asperity contact simulation approach to reproduce realistic load-sharing behaviour. Experimental results from starved lubrication tests demonstrate stable contact conditions with a low coefficient of variation in wear, confirming good reproducibility. Stepwise performed Stribeck tests at 40 °C and 100 °C reveal characteristic friction–velocity behaviour, including the transition from mixed to hydrodynamic lubrication. Although the test rig’s maximum sliding speed and steady-state thermal conditions differ from fired engine environments, the methodology closes an important gap between low-speed linear tribometers and complex floating-liner systems. The presented approach provides a flexible and robust platform for controlled parametric studies of ring-on-liner contacts under application-relevant lubrication regimes.