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Friction 2021, 9(5): 1227-1241 https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-020-0462-4
Research Article | Open Access | Issue | Published: 07 January 2021

Fast laser surface texturing of spherical samples to improve the frictional performance of elasto-hydrodynamic lubricated contacts

Show Author's Information G. BOIDI1,2,3( ),  P.G. GRÜTZMACHER4,5,  A. KADIRIC1,  F.J. PROFITO3,  I.F. MACHADO3,  C. GACHOT4,  D. DINI1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
AC2T research GmbH, Wiener Neustadt 2700, Austria
Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo-USP, São Paulo 05508-030, Brazil
Department of Engineering Design and Product Development, TU Wien, Wien 1060, Austria
Department of Material Science and Engineering, Saarland University, Saarbrücken 66123, Germany
Keywords:
friction, film thickness, surface laser texturing, elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication, bearings
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BOIDI G, GRÜTZMACHER P, KADIRIC A, et al. Fast laser surface texturing of spherical samples to improve the frictional performance of elasto-hydrodynamic lubricated contacts. Friction, 2021, 9(5): 1227-1241. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-020-0462-4
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Abstract Full text About this article

Textured surfaces offer the potential to promote friction and wear reduction by increasing the hydrodynamic pressure, fluid uptake, or acting as oil or debris reservoirs. However, texturing techniques often require additional manufacturing steps and costs, thus frequently being not economically feasible for real engineering applications. This experimental study aims at applying a fast laser texturing technique on curved surfaces for obtaining superior tribological performances. A femtosecond pulsed laser (Ti:Sapphire) and direct laser interference patterning (with a solid-state Nd:YAG laser) were used for manufacturing dimple and groove patterns on curved steel surfaces (ball samples). Tribological tests were carried out under elasto-hydrodynamic lubricated contact conditions varying slide-roll ratio using a ball-on-disk configuration. Furthermore, a specific interferometry technique for rough surfaces was used to measure the film thickness of smooth and textured surfaces. Smooth steel samples were used to obtain data for the reference surface. The results showed that dimples promoted friction reduction (up to 20%) compared to the reference smooth specimens, whereas grooves generally caused less beneficial or detrimental effects. In addition, dimples promoted the formation of full film lubrication conditions at lower speeds. This study demonstrates how fast texturing techniques could potentially be used for improving the tribological performance of bearings as well as other mechanical components utilised in several engineering applications.


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Fast laser surface texturing of spherical samples to improve the frictional performance of elasto-hydrodynamic lubricated contacts

Show Author's information G. BOIDI1,2,3( ), P.G. GRÜTZMACHER4,5, A. KADIRIC1, F.J. PROFITO3, I.F. MACHADO3, C. GACHOT4, D. DINI1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
AC2T research GmbH, Wiener Neustadt 2700, Austria
Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo-USP, São Paulo 05508-030, Brazil
Department of Engineering Design and Product Development, TU Wien, Wien 1060, Austria
Department of Material Science and Engineering, Saarland University, Saarbrücken 66123, Germany

Abstract

Textured surfaces offer the potential to promote friction and wear reduction by increasing the hydrodynamic pressure, fluid uptake, or acting as oil or debris reservoirs. However, texturing techniques often require additional manufacturing steps and costs, thus frequently being not economically feasible for real engineering applications. This experimental study aims at applying a fast laser texturing technique on curved surfaces for obtaining superior tribological performances. A femtosecond pulsed laser (Ti:Sapphire) and direct laser interference patterning (with a solid-state Nd:YAG laser) were used for manufacturing dimple and groove patterns on curved steel surfaces (ball samples). Tribological tests were carried out under elasto-hydrodynamic lubricated contact conditions varying slide-roll ratio using a ball-on-disk configuration. Furthermore, a specific interferometry technique for rough surfaces was used to measure the film thickness of smooth and textured surfaces. Smooth steel samples were used to obtain data for the reference surface. The results showed that dimples promoted friction reduction (up to 20%) compared to the reference smooth specimens, whereas grooves generally caused less beneficial or detrimental effects. In addition, dimples promoted the formation of full film lubrication conditions at lower speeds. This study demonstrates how fast texturing techniques could potentially be used for improving the tribological performance of bearings as well as other mechanical components utilised in several engineering applications.

Keywords: friction, film thickness, surface laser texturing, elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication, bearings

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Publication history

Received: 17 June 2020
Revised: 10 September 2020
Accepted: 14 October 2020
Published: 07 January 2021
Issue date: October 2021

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© The author(s) 2020

Acknowledgements

This project was generously financed by the State of São Paulo Research Foundation, Brazil (FAPESP Grant Nos. 2016/25067-9 and 2017/21151-8) and the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). G. BOIDI thanks the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) for the funding obtained by the Austrian COMET-Program (Project K2, InTribology, No. 872176) carried out at the "Excellence Centre of Tribology" (AC2T research GmbH). The government of Lower Austria is gratefully acknowledged for financially supporting the endowed professorship tribology of Prof. C. GACHOT at the TU Wien (Grant No. WST3-F-5031370/001-2017) in collaboration with AC2T research GmbH. D. DINI also acknowledges the support received from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) via his Established Career Fellowship EP/N025954/1.

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