A novel test rig was designed and developed for testing the dynamic abrasion resistance of advanced coating systems used in engineering applications. Testing undertaken included abrasion, impact and combined impact-abrasion on uncoated and coated systems. Different coating thicknesses applied to a number of different substrates were tested during the experimental stage. Substrate materials consisted of aluminium, mild steel, and tool steels in annealed and heat treated conditions. Thick and thin coatings of TiN, TixC, WC-Co and Ni-Cr were applied to the substrates which were then subjected to dynamic wear tests. Coatings were applied using High Velocity Oxy Fuel (HVOF) thermal spray and Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) processes. An on-line data acquisition system was adapted by writing an appropriate computer programme for measuring and recording the applied load during the testing process. A comparison is made between existing wear test equipment and the one used for this research. Suggestions for further work are discussed. Surfaces subjected to the dynamic wear conditions were examined using optical and scanning electron microscopes. Comparisons are made between the coated and uncoated substrates for wear resistance. Comparisons are also made between the experimental results and mathematical models for determining the wear coefficients of materials tested. The main wear characteristics associated with surfaces in sliding and impact conditions and the effects of rebound on impact of materials are discussed. The application of advanced coating systems to reduce wear are also mentioned. The main findings drawn from this research are based on the effects of dynamic abrasion tests on coated and uncoated samples and the effect of different substrates and coating combinations on wear resistance. The main differences between the sliding and impact test conditions, the coating type and the effects of coating thickness on wear resistance are reported. This information may assist tool designers to specify and recommend suitable coating systems, thicknesses and processes to suit conditions associated with dynamic abrasion.