Rod Bearings Research Articles

Weak feature extraction for early wear of connecting rod bearings under transient conditions

As we all know, it is difficult to extract weak feature for early wear of connecting rod bearings under transient conditions. In order to solve the problem, a method of extracting wear features for connecting rod bearings based on variational modal decomposition (VMD) adaptive noise reduction and computational order tracking (COT) was proposed. Firstly, the vibration signals of internal combustion engine block under transient operating conditions were collected, and the signals were reordered to satisfy the order tracking condition. Then, interpolation and fitting techniques were used to map the signal from the time domain space to the angular domain space. Next, the VMD was used to decompose the angular domain signal into multiple modal components, and the autocorrelation function (ACF) was used to denoise the modal components adaptively. Finally, the signal was reconstructed to conduct COT analysis, and the wear features of connecting rod bearing were extracted by average COT spectrum. The simulation analysis and the simulation experiment of the connecting rod bearing fault show that the proposed method is effective, and the weak features for early wear of connecting rod bearing of internal combustion engine are extracted.

Lubrication performance analysis of the connecting rod bearing based on AVL EXCITE

The lubrication state of connecting rod bearing has influence on the reliability and lifetime. It is necessary to analyze the lubrication state of connecting rod bearing to evaluate and design the lubrication performance. The connecting rod bearing hydrodynamic lubrication simulation model was set up for 9XX diesel engine and journal bearing fatigue test-rig at Glacier Vandervall. The effect of maximum oil film pressure, minimum oil film thickness and maximum asperity contact pressure on the lubrication performance were studied. Then the lubrication states of connecting rod bearings under different working conditions were discussed based on two test machines. The results are of great significance for analyzing the lubrication performance of connecting rod bearings and the reliability of bearings.

Study of the Piston Secondary Movement on the Tribological Performance of a Single Cylinder Low-Displacement Diesel Engine

The present study aims to analyze the secondary movement of the piston considering the deformations present in the piston skirt, the hydrodynamic lubrication, and the effects of the clearances in the connecting rod bearings. The analysis of the piston movement is performed by developing a mathematical model, which was used to evaluate the dynamic characteristics of the piston movement, the slap force on the piston skirt, the effect of the secondary piston movement on the connecting rod, and the influence of clearances in the connecting rod bearings and in the piston. For the study, the geometric of the crankshaft-connecting rod–piston system of a single-cylinder diesel engine is taken as a reference. The deformation model of the piston was carried out by means of a symmetric finite element model (FEM), which was integrated into the mathematical model of the piston. MATLAB® software (The MathWorks Inc., Natick, MA, USA) is used for the development of model simulations. The obtained results show that during the combustion cycle, there are six changes of direction in the secondary movement of the piston with lateral and angular velocities that can reach a magnitude of 0.13 m/s and 4 rad/s. The lateral and angular movement of the piston during its travel causes the appearance of impacts on the piston skirt with the cylinder liner, which produces an increase of approximately 500 N in the hydrodynamic forces in the connecting rod bearings. The force analysis shows that the range of the maximum magnitudes of these forces is between 1900 N and 3480 N. The increase in clearance between the cylinder liner and the piston skirt (Cpc) causes a greater lateral displacement and an increase in the angle of inclination of the piston. Analysis of the change in connecting rod bearing clearance shows that there are critical values in relation to clearance Cpc. The model presented allows us to analyze the different characteristics of the secondary movement of the piston, which involve the interaction between the piston skirt and the cylinder liner. Additionally, the influence of this movement on the connecting rod bearings is considered. The foregoing can be used as an analysis tool for the study of designs and/or modifications in the engine in such a way that greater durability of the components, reductions in acoustic emissions, and reduction in friction losses are achieved.

Gas Bubble Development in Connecting Rod Supply Systems Caused by Oil Aeration

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">This paper focusses on the supply conditions of a connecting rod bearing. Thereto, a novel simulation approach is presented, which is based on a transient 3D-CFD multiphase flow simulation including the ability of gas dissolution and diffusive mass transfer. The model determines the pressure behavior and the gas bubble development in the oil supply system of a connecting rod bearing. It allows to visualize the flow behavior and the existence of gas bubbles in order to get a detailed impression of the physical occurrences. The experimental results from Maaßen [<span class="xref">5</span>], where a big gas bubble is formed in the supply bore by gas cavitation, are confirmed and used for validation. Further the flow behavior of free air ratios is investigated. The paper concludes that the supply conditions of a connecting rod bearing are strongly influenced by the gas bubble in terms of the fluid composition and the volume flow rate at the connecting rod bearing inlet. These results serve as an important basis for the definition of more detailed boundary conditions for (thermal) hydrodynamic bearing simulations.</div></div>

Comparative evaluation of the local application of dimethyl sulfoxide in an experimental spinal cord injury model

Aim: To investigate the efficacy of the local application of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in an experimental spinal cord injury model.Material and Methods: This study included 20 Sprague–Dawley rats (12 males and 8 females) that were aged 4–6 months and weighed 160–300 g. The control and experimental groups had equal number of rats (n = 10). Ketamine hydrochloride (50 mg/kg) and diazepam (2 mg/kg) in saline solution were intraperitoneally administered. A rod bearing, glass tube through which the weight was passed, and modified Allen trauma device were used to induce trauma. The rats then developed post-traumatic flask paraplegia. DMSO was topically applied to the epidural space after a two-level laminectomy. The global motor performance of the rats was evaluated. Results: The motor performance of the experimental and control groups was assessed after trauma. Results showed that the rats presented with significantly decreased motor performance. In particular, the performance of the experimental group improved over time, and recovery accelerated after the fifth day. Based on a histological examination of the lesion sites after the tenth day, the experimental and control groups significantly differed in terms of global motor performance.Conclusion: The efficacy of the agent was evaluated via global motor performance assessment and histological examination. In the experimental group, a statistically significant difference was observed in terms of global motor performance, which was assessed using the tilted floor method, on the fifth day after trauma. Histologically, no statistically significant difference was noted between the two groups.

ОЦЕНКА ВЛИЯНИЯ ПАРАМЕТРОВ МИКРОТЕКСТУРИРОВАНИЯ НА ГИДРОМЕХАНИЧЕСКИЕ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКИ ПОДШИПНИКОВ КОЛЕНЧАТОГО ВАЛА ДИЗЕЛЯ

The solution to the problem of increasing the motor resource of an internal combustion engine (ICE) is directly related to the reduction of energy losses due to overcoming friction in the elements of systems, mechanisms, and complexly loaded tribo-couplers (TC). Among the mechanical friction losses, a special place isoccupied by the hydromechanical friction losses in the internal combustion engine. The reduction of energy losses to overcome friction is achieved by reducing mechanical losses by limiting the level of loading of the rubbing surfaces, by increasing the proportion of the liquid friction regime for the most critical in terms of reliability resource-determining complex loaded vehicles. For complexly loaded vehicles, the time and magnitude of the acting loads are characteristic, at which the position of the movable element in conjunction is characterized by high eccentricities. Such complexly loaded vehicles include the main and connecting rod bearings of the crankshaft, the “piston guide – cylinder liner” and “piston ring – cylinder liner” couplings, the thrust and thrust bearings of the ICE turbocharger, etc. One of the ways to reduce oil starvation isto texturize the contacting surfaces, which will increase the bearing capacity of a complex bearing due to the creation of many “micro wedges”. In particular, the texturing of the surface of the bearing shells of the crankshaft can be performed in the form of elliptical micro-holes, which allow you to save oil on the friction surface under any operating conditions of the diesel engine. The article provides an overview of the main types of microtexturing of friction surfaces of TC. A calculation model has been created and a calculation analysis program has been developed for the internal combustion engine “crankshaft neck-liner” TC. The calculations ofthe hydromechanical characteristics (HMC) of the vehicle for various types of microtexture were performed using the connecting rod bearing of the diesel engine CHN 13/15 as an example.

Calculation and identification of the coordinate of oil jet ejection from the gap of a rotating connecting rod bearing

The development of a modern high-speed, energy-efficient and reliable diesel engine requires high-quality lubrication of all friction parts in general and parts of the cylinder-piston group (CPG) in particular. The relevance of this research is due to the insufficient study of the process of oil jet supply of CPG parts, implemented in combined lubrication systems of modern high-speed four-stroke engines and significantly affecting the processes of friction, wear and scuffing of parts of this group. The analysis of previously performed works in this area has shown the feasibility of not only setting up an experiment, but also using computational modeling in order to increase the informativity of the results obtained. The aim of the study was to determine the coordinates of the point of ejection of the oil jet from the gap of the rotating connecting rod bearing. According to the accepted working hypothesis, the point of ejection of the oil jet was the geometric place of the maximum gap in the connecting rod bearing. To calculate the angular coordinate of this point, we used the method of composing and solving equations of plane motion of a solid body. As a result of the research, an analytical expression of the desired coordinate was obtained and its value was calculated during the working cycle for the conditions of the nominal operating mode of the research object - a high-speed universal air-cooled diesel engine 1CH 8.5/8.0 (TMZ-450D). Ensuring the reliability and increasing the accuracy of the results of the study is confirmed by comparison with the calculated data obtained by the method of classical dynamics of piston engines. The array of calculated values of the coordinate of the oil jet ejection point from the gap of the rotating connecting rod bearing of the diesel engine, defined in this paper, will be used for debugging the developed tool for calculating modeling of the oil jet feed process and subsequent optimization of the conditions of lubrication, friction and wear of CPG parts on this basis.

Changing Supplying Oil and Connecting Rod Bearings Conditions of the Crankshaft of an Internal Combustion Engine in Operation

Changing Supplying Oil and Connecting Rod Bearings Conditions of the Crankshaft of an Internal Combustion Engine in Operation

The Effects of Different Oil Supply Pressure on Journal Bearing Performance

In this study, the performance of the connecting rod bearing of the one cylinder 4-stroke diesel Ricardo Hydra Engine was investigated at different oil supply pressure (3 bar, 5 bar, 7 bar) by examining the performance of the selected connecting rod bearing as an example; radial journal bearing users and bearing designers. Width the change of the oil supply pressure at the dynamically loaded connecting rod bearing; how the minimum bearing clearance, the maximum oil film pressure, the friction torque, the shaft orbit in connecting rod bearing and the hydrodynamic power losses that occur in the journal bearing have been theoretically investigated. Using the Ricardo ORBIT V1.2 software analysis were performed using the Finite Volume Method which provides a fast and accurate solution commonly used in the literature. At the different connecting rod bearing width; how it affected the performance of the journal bearing under dynamic load was carefully examined. From the results of the research; increased oil supply pressure; It has been determined that the bearing clearance, the maximum oil film pressure is increased, the friction torque and hydrodynamic power losses increase. The orbit drawn by the shaft orbit in connecting rod bearing is stable. The results of this research showed that the different oil supply pressure plays an important role in minimum bearing clearance, the maximum oil film pressure, the friction torque, the shaft orbit in connecting rod bearing and the hydrodynamic power losses under the dynamic load.

Coupled Dynamic Simulation of Two Stage Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) Connecting Rod Using Virtual Dynamics

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The fuel consumption of combustion engines requires continuous reduction to meet future CO2 fleet targets. The progression of emission legislations shifted the focus on PN and NOX emissions in real world driving scenarios (RDE). Recently, the monitoring of CO emissions puts high load fuel enrichment for component protection into focus and a ban on enrichment is widely expected. Hence, gasoline engine technologies, which enable Lambda 1 operation in the entire engine map are specifically promoted. Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) attacks all these topics already at the combustion process. In addition to the well-known CO2 capability, VCR also enables enlargement of the lambda 1 operation in gasoline engines as well as reduced NOX emissions in diesel engines. The basic principle of developed VCR solution is to change the effective length of the connecting rod (and thereby the compression ratio) in two stages by several millimeters. Basically, the VCR connecting rod consists of a mechanical and hydraulic system which is fed with oil by the connecting rod bearing. All functional elements to realize the variability such as an eccentric, lever, support rods, check valves and shift valve are integrated into the connecting rod. The system works without “external” energy supply but uses mass- and gas forces - acting on the piston pin - to vary its length. In order to analyze and optimize the system dynamics, a highly sophisticated simulation approach based on coupled simulations of the mechanical and the hydraulic subsystem of the VCR connecting rod. The co-simulation is carried out in time domain using the commercial software Virtual Dynamics for the elastic multi body simulations and GT-Suite for 1D fluid simulations. In this article the coupled 3D-multi body simulation/1D-hydraulic co-simulation as used to optimize the VCR connecting rod performance are presented.</div></div>

Selection of bearing material to comply RoHS regulations as per EU directive: A review

Abstract The ecological balance in environment must be maintained despite growing industrial needs. Instead of controlling waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), the hazardous substances were restricted at their origin and hence RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) directive came into picture. Connecting rod bearings are one of the important components of engine. It gives smooth rotation of connecting rod that connects the crankshaft and the piston. Lead is present in different amounts in bearing material because of its friction reducing property. However, due to negative health and environmental issues of lead, the use of lead is getting restricted in bearing. Thus, there is need to find out lead free bearing materials. This paper suggests different lead free alternatives to leaded bearing material.

THE INFLUENCE OF FAULTS IN THE LUBRICATION SYSTEM ON THE DAMAGE OF THE ENGINE BEARINGS

The analysis of the condition of the internal combustion engine bearings is carried out for various lubrication system faults, which cause a reduction or even complete stoppage of the oil supply to the bearings of the crankshaft. It is established that the oil supply failure leads to two main types of bearing damage: when only the main bearings are damaged, it can be a complete or almost complete stop of the oil supply, while damage to the connecting rod bearings only occurs when the oil supply decreases. It was found that the difference in the nature of damage to the main and connecting rod bearings is associated not only with the structural difference in the organization of the oil supply, but also with the effect of centrifugal forces from crankshaft rotation to the oil column in the lubricating hole supplying oil to the conrod bearing. The main signs of the types of damage are presented and analyzed, and by dividing these characteristics into the main ones, confirming and specifying, simple recommendations have been developed to determine the causes of engine failure associated with bearing damage.

Variational mode decomposition denoising combined with the Euclidean distance for diesel engine vibration signal

Variational mode decomposition (VMD) is a recently introduced adaptive signal decomposition algorithm with a solid theoretical foundation and good noise robustness compared with empirical mode decomposition (EMD). There is a lot of background noise in the vibration signal of diesel engine. To solve the problem, a denoising algorithm based on VMD and Euclidean Distance is proposed. Firstly, a multi-component, non-Gauss, and noisy simulation signal is established, and decomposed into a given number K of band-limited intrinsic mode functions by VMD. Then the Euclidean distance between the probability density function of each mode and that of the simulation signal are calculated. The signal is reconstructed using the relevant modes, which are selected on the basis of noticeable similarities between the probability density function of the simulation signal and that of each mode. Finally, the vibration signals of diesel engine connecting rod bearing faults are analyzed by the proposed method. The results show that compared with other denoising algorithms, the proposed method has better denoising effect, and the fault characteristics of vibration signals of diesel engine connecting rod bearings can be effectively enhanced.

Engine fault feature extraction based on order tracking and VMD in transient conditions

A method based on order tracking and Variational Mode Decomposition was proposed to solve the problem of non-stationarity and background noise in the vibration signal of engine. For the vibration signal of diesel engine crankshaft bearing fault and Connecting rod bearing of gasoline engine, the non-stationary signal in the time domain was converted into a pseudo stationary signal on the angular domain based on order tracking. Then the reconstructed signal was decomposed by several components by VMD, and the component that contains fault information was selected. The three-dimensional spectral array of order, speed and power spectrum was calculated, and the fault feature was extracted. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by simulation and experiment.

Effect of cylinder deactivation on tribological performance of piston compression ring and connecting rod bearing

Thermo-mixed-hydrodynamics of compression rings and big-end bearings are presented. Frictional losses under normal engine operating conditions for a gasoline engine and those with cylinder deactivation (CDA) are predicted. With CDA, the combustion chamber pressure increases in the active cylinders, whilst some residual pressure remains in the deactivated ones. For the former, the increased in-cylinder temperatures reduce viscous friction, whilst reducing the load carrying capacity, promoting increased boundary interactions. In deactivated cylinders, lower contact temperatures yield increased viscous friction. Overall, a 5% improvement in expended fuel is expected with the application of CDA. However, 10% of these gains are expended due to increased friction. The study demonstrates the need to consider total system effects when introducing new technologies such as CDA.

Estimation of Hydrodynamic Parameters of Connecting Rod Plain Bearings of Pumping Plant of Powered Mine Support

Expert evaluation of damage the connecting rod bearing shells UNP55-250 pump unit was performed. The finite elements method is used to calculate oil flow in the bearing clearance. Influence of operating defects on the parameters of hydrodynamics is also estimated. Calculations for various designs of connecting rod bearings are carried out and impact of various surface compliances is estimated.

Plotting and Determination of Nominal Stresses in the Сrankshaft Components of V Configuration Engine with Offset Rod Bearing Journals

Currently, a great number of large vehicle engines, especially diesel ones, have a V-shaped configuration layout. For six-cylinder and eight-cylinder V-engines, to simplify a processing technology of the block-crankcases, in the section manufacturers often use the 90 ° angle, which is the most prevalent angle for the V8 engine. However, in this case, an even firing cycle in the cylinders is not provided for the V6 layout. This leads to significant vibrations, especially at idle and requires for a more massive flywheel. Designers face the challenge to provide the even firing cycle in the cylinders. To solve this problem are often used the crankshaft designs, which have the offset rod journals. However, it leads to the manufacturing complexity of the shaft, and also to the need to use the special methods of calculation. There are no direct calculation methods for the crankshafts of this design. The paper proposes a technique to define the nominal stresses in the crankshaft of this design. To consider the shaft is used a split-type design. The paper presents a schematic diagram of the crankshaft loading, and on its basis describes equations of the moments for each section. A special attention is drawn to the new constructive element, i.e. an intermediate cheek. For clarity, the diagrams of moments in two mutually perpendicular planes are built. It is worth noting that the paper also proposes a technique from transition from the global to the local coordinate system when considering the moments in the crankshaft elements. Further, there are the appropriate expressions to determine the nominal stresses. This is one of the main desired values in calculating the crankshaft endurance. The developed technique in the particular case allows the calculation of crankshaft engine models that can be subsumed under the advantages. In the future the proposed technique is expected to be a basis for creating a software complex. The complex objective is expected to be capable to calculate the endurance of the crankshafts with offset connecting rod journals in a wide range of the main design variables, and, as already mentioned, calculate the shaft endurance of the reciprocating engine.

Проблемы повреждаемости силовых и теплонапряженных узлов тепловозных дизелей. Аналитический обзор

Medium-speed diesel engines were developed in the 1960s for a wide range of applications, the main of which was the replacement of obsolete power plants on diesel locomotives and the increase in the efficiency of diesel locomotives. The main structural elements of the engine had to have reserves of strength and durability, allow achieving high power of a single engine due to forcing the work process and increasing the number of cylinders. During the trial operation, numerous cases of damage and failure of the most important power and heat-stressed components were noted. The article critically analyzes the results of studies to improve the reliability and resource life of pistons, cylinder covers, assemblies “crankshaft - bearing”.As a result of work to improve the reliability of pistons was introduced cooling the piston head by shaking, in the area of the piston rings the circulation of motor oil was added in place of the previously used jet cooling. For the cylinder cover, the most effective was the introduction of structural changes in the bottom profile, which allowed to lower the levels of cyclic thermal stresses. Performance of the “crankshaft - bearings” assembly was guaranteed due to the transition from the shaft suspension with the geared connector to the suspension structure with the flat joint and the load tightening of the joint, and to the completely balanced steel crankshaft. The indicator of the bearing width is increased in relation to the diameter of the shaft neck of the main and connecting rod bearings. The article provides an analysis of published data on cylinder head and crankshaft bearing failures on diesel locomotives for several years of operation prior to the introduction of changes and after. The study showed the effectiveness of the structural and technological measures taken.

Overview of automotive engine friction and reduction trends–Effects of surface, material, and lubricant-additive technologies

Abstract The increasing global environmental awareness, evidenced by recent worldwide calls for control of climate change and greenhouse emissions, has placed significant new technical mandates for automotives to improve engine efficiency, which is directly related to the production of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas. Reduction of parasitic losses of the vehicle, powertrain and the engine systems is a key component of energy conservation. For engine efficiency improvement, various approaches include improvements in advanced combustion systems, component system design and handling—such as down-sizing, boosting, and electrification—as well as waste heat recovery systems etc. Among these approaches, engine friction reduction is a key and relatively cost-effective approach, which has been receiving significant attention from tribologists and lubricant-lubrication engineers alike. In this paper, the fundamentals of friction specific to the environments of engine components tribology are reviewed, together with discussions on the impact of developing vehicle powertrain technologies, surface and material technologies, as well as lubricant and additive technologies on promises of continuing friction and wear reduction trends. The international accords on climate change require further gains in fuel efficiency and energy sustainability from all industry sectors including those in the automotive and the broader internal combustion engine industries, and the latter encompass off-highway, power generation, marine, and rail industries as well. This paper focsuses on friction reduction in mainly automotive engines, however. The paper starts with a clarification of the common descriptors of mechanical losses and friction in the engine, followed by the topic of lubrication fundamentals such as lubrication regimes. Then the lubrication of the contacting surfaces in each of the major engine subsystems is discussed in turn. These subsystems include the piston assembly: ring-pack/liner, piston-skirt/liner, and piston-pin/connecting-rod contacts; connecting rod and crankshaft bearings; and the valvetrain subsystem. The relative contributions to total friction from the various subsystems are discussed, with the piston-assembly contributing to about half of the total friction. The remainder of the friction comes from the crankshaft, connecting rod, camshaft bearings, and the valvetrain oscillating parts. The bearings are in predominantly hydrodynamic lubrication, in contrast to the valvetrain oscillating components, which are characterized to be mostly in the mixed/boundary lubrication regimes. Despite the title of the paper, a section on emerging powertrain technologies—including that of combustion in gasoline and diesel engines—is also given in the context of the trend towards clean and efficient propulsion systems. The impact of these developing technologies on the reduction of friction and parasitic losses via component, material, and lubricant deisgn will be discussed. These technologies include gasoline direct injection (GDI), turbocharged, and hybrid vehicles and will generate unique green environmental opportunities for future propulsion systems. These technologies are critical to meet fuel economy and reduced emission targets. Specifically, this paper will address the impact of these emerging technologies on future lubricant requirements and advanced tribology research. The connection between these lubricant and tribological requirements will be illustrated by briefly describing the basic lubrication and friction processes at the major engine components incorporating the emerging technologies. Lastly, besides new hardware and material science changes, several advanced additives such as advanced friction modifiers, antiwear additive chemistries, low viscosity lubricants, and the introduction of new VI Improvers all represent possible tribological solutions to the challenge of meeting more stringent energy efficiency requirements and environmental legislation. As original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) seek to accomplish these goals, hardware and emission system changes will place new demands and even greater stress on engine oils. At the same time, engine durability, performance and reliability are of primary importance to vehicle owners and operators. The final section of this paper will discuss the future trends of engine friction reduction and wear control by surface modification such as friction-reducing coatings or surface textures in engine components. The impact of surface coatings or surface textures on engine friction will be reviewed. In addition, the OEMs and lubricant formulation manufacturers will need to respond with novel engine oil technologies formulated to protect the engine, keeping the emissions system working at the optimal fuel economy, while retaining engine durability. In brief, the paper (i) reviews the characteristics of component friction in the environment of the internal combustion engine and the relevant design considerations, (ii) addresses the impact of emerging technologies on engine friction and the tribological changes and requirements, especially on lubricant and additives, and lastly (iii) discusses the interactions between lubricant-additive formulations and material surface engineering, and their effects on friction, wear and engine durability. The increasing importance and interplay between synergistic advancements in component design, material and surface engineering, and advanced lubricant-additive formulation will be fully illustrated.

Microstructural evolution and surface properties of nanostructured Cu-based alloy by ultrasonic nanocrystalline surface modification technique

A nanostructured surface layer with a thickness of about 180μm was successfully produced in Cu-based alloy using an ultrasonic nanocrystalline surface modification (UNSM) technique. Cu-based alloy was sintered onto low carbon steel using a powder metallurgy (P/M) method. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) characterization revealed that the severe plastic deformation introduced by UNSM technique resulted in nano-sized grains in the topmost surface layer and deformation twins. It was also found by atomic force microscope (AFM) observations that the UNSM technique provides a significant reduction in number of interconnected pores. The effectiveness of nanostructured surface layer on the tribological and micro-scratch properties of Cu-based alloy specimens was investigated using a ball-on-disk tribometer and micro-scratch tester, respectively. Results exhibited that the UNSM-treated specimen led to an improvement in tribological and micro-scratch properties compared to that of the sintered specimen, which may be attributed to the presence of nanostructured surface layer having an increase in surface hardness and reduction in surface roughness. The findings from this study are expected to be implemented to the automotive industry, in particular connected rod bearings and bushings in order to increase the efficiency and performance of internal combustion engines (ICEs).