Abstract
The aim of the present study was firstly to determine the manufacturing feasibility of a specific surface 3D-microtexturing on steel through an ultra-short pulsed laser, and secondly to investigate the tribological properties under 2 different lubrication conditions: oil-lubricated and antifriction coated. The selected 3D-microtexture consisted of 2 different levels of quadratic micropillars having side dimensions of approximately 45 µm, heights of about 35 µm and periods of 80 µm. It was shown that the production of specific 3D-microtextures on steel substrates using an ultra-short pulsed laser was feasible, and that the reproducibility of the texture dimensions over the entire textured region was extremely good. Frictional investigations have shown that, in comparison to the benchmark (untextured samples), the 3D-microtextured samples do not induce any significant improvements in the coefficient of friction (COF) under oil-lubricated conditions, but that under antifriction coated conditions, significant improvements in the friction coefficients may be achieved. Wear-based tribological tests have shown that the antifriction coating on benchmark samples was completely depleted, which greatly influenced their friction and wear behavior, since steel-steel contact occurred during testing. For the 3D-microtexture, the antifriction coating was also partially depleted; however, it accumulated itself in the microtexture which acted as a potential lubricant reservoir.
Highlights
Achieving greater productivity at lower costs represents a significant challenge for the modern manufacturing industry
This reduction of the tribological properties may be obtained through several different approaches, such as modification of the component’s geometry, application of hard protective coatings, optimizing surface roughness and/or topography [1,2,3,4,5] or by the introduction of specific surface textures, which play a major role in lubrication, level of friction and the wear rates of tribological systems
The present study has shown that the production of specific 3D-microtextures on steel substrates using an ultra-short pulsed laser was feasible and the reproducibility of the texture dimensions over the entire textured regions was extremely good
Summary
Achieving greater productivity at lower costs represents a significant challenge for the modern manufacturing industry In this endeavor, new advanced materials and surface technologies are needed in order to enhance the efficiency of mechanical systems and reduce their energy consumption, which may be achieved through a reduction of the friction and wear of tribological contacts. A diverse array of manufacturing processes has been developed for the production of surface microtextures, such as mechanical micromachining, chemical etching or laser ablation, to name a few. All these industrial surface microtexturing processes show advantages or Lubricants 2019, 7, 67; doi:10.3390/lubricants7080067 www.mdpi.com/journal/lubricants
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