The effect of groove-textured surface on friction and wear and friction-induced vibration and noise

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental study on the influence of groove-textured surface on tribological behaviors and friction-induced vibration and noise properties. Groove-textured surfaces with different widths and pitches were manufactured on compacted graphite iron materials (brake disc material) by electromachining. The difference between the groove-textured and original smooth surfaces in friction and wear and vibration and noise properties was studied, by using a developed device which is able to synchronously measure and analyze the friction force, vibration acceleration and noise signals in a ball-on-flat reciprocating sliding configuration. It is shown that the squeal generated from the groove-textured surface was more influenced by the dimensional proportion of groove width to pitch, instead independently by groove width or pitch. Groove-textured surfaces with a specific dimensional proportion of groove width to pitch of 1/2, i.e., the width of groove equal to the width of ridge, showed good potential in reducing and suppressing squeal. The groove was the dominant surface component of contact surface topography affecting the generation of squeal compared to the microscopic irregularities of the worn surface. The wave-fluctuations of the friction force caused by counterface ball sliding across the grooves were found to play a crucial role in the squeal generation, which can effectively disturb the self-excited vibration of the friction system and consequently reduce the tendency to squeal.