Effect of grooved surface texturing on the behavior of lubricated contacts

Abstract

The goal of this research study was to investigate the effect of grooved surface texturing with a rhombic geometry under different lubrication regimes. Tribological study under unidirectional sliding was focused on the effect of texturing parameters such as groove depth, groove width, distance between grooves and pattern area density on the coefficient of friction under different lubrication regimes achieved by varying sliding speed and lubricant viscosity. Three types of grooved patterns with different textured area densities were produced on steel samples by electrical discharge machining (EDM). The largest gain in terms of friction reduction was observed by using lowest texture density specimen by using medium viscosity oil (ISOVG 150) at higher sliding speeds. Inspection of sliding surfaces has not revealed any measurable wear for the contact conditions investigated.