Impact of multi-scaled surface textures on tribological performance of parallel sliding contact under lubricated condition

Abstract

Single-scale textured sliding contacts are effective for low-load and high-speed operating conditions. However, most machine-driven components operate under dynamic load and speed conditions. Therefore, to effectively counteract the dynamic operating conditions, the idea of multi-scale textures is devised. The present work describes the fabrication of multi-scale textured surfaces through Nd: YAG laser. Also, the effect of area density and texture depth of multi-scale textured surfaces on tribological parameters like frictional coefficient and wear rate was analyzed through a Pin-on-disc test rig. The results depict that in most loading conditions, the area density of 0.3 and the texture depth of 10 µm exhibit better tribological properties. Moreover, the obtained experimental results are in-line with numerical results.