Surface treatment of bearings with diamond coating reduces loss

Bearings are a universal part, and only a few equipments do not use bearing designs. In most cases, bearings are found in all types of instruments and equipment systems. Surface treatment of ball and plain bearings with a diamond-type coating can greatly reduce the frictional losses of the bearing system. In advance, this diamond-type coating can be applied to plastic bearings through a special coating process to improve the durability of components and extend the life of the equipment.

    Ball bearings are often seen in the transmission section of bicycles, while plain bearings can be found in the shaft of a ship. Bearings play a vital role in many drive and brake designs. They not only work well under high-speed engines and high-heat composite conditions, but also help materials meet the requirements of some extremely demanding working environments. Diamond-type coatings The emergence of the application is very good.

    Scientists from the IWM Materials Performance Research Center in Freiburg, Germany, are actively developing new generations of bearings for the next generation. They have developed a special high-performance chemical coating for the bearings to provide a smooth surface in the bearing. Degree, reduce friction, so as to achieve the design requirements to extend the purpose of bearing use. These innovative coating products, mainly composed of diamond-type carbon (DLC), said Dr. Sven Meier, head of the research center, "The emergence of diamond-based coatings has given us a strong technology for future bearing design. Support. We are fully capable of designing new products that last longer than conventional bearings. The bearing technology and applications for this new coating are still under development, and we envisage that this product can be used without lubricants. The situation can be done well."

    Of course, the surface treatment of diamond coatings on bearings also requires special coating processes, and IWM scientists have also completed the development of this process. Meier went on to say, “Our coating method can be used for surface treatment of complex geometric components such as bearing cages.” Engineers are currently optimizing this technology to achieve low-coat thickness performance. Application requirements, it is reported that IWM plans to control the coating thickness below 20 microns. “Our process ensures the coating service requirements for micron-sized coating structures. At this size, the coating can completely replace traditional lubricants or lubricants to minimize system friction. Special requirements can also create super smooth material surfaces."

    Currently, researchers are further developing coating coating processes to ensure they meet the specific requirements of different sizes and shapes. IWM's goal is to reduce the high cost of existing bearing processing by optimizing the process, thereby reducing the cost of enterprise equipment procurement and equipment maintenance.
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Lubrication of plain bearings

Lubricant

The role of the lubricant is to reduce frictional resistance, reduce wear, cooling and vibration absorption. Lubricants are liquid, solid and gas and semi-solid. Liquid lubricants are called lubricating oils, semi-solid, at room temperature. The grease is grease.

Lubricant

Lubricating oil is the main lubricant. The main physical property index of lubricating oil is viscosity. Viscosity characterizes the internal friction property of liquid flow. The greater the viscosity, the worse the fluidity. Another physical property of the lubricating oil is oiliness, which characterizes the adsorption capacity of the lubricating oil on the metal surface. The greater the oiliness, the stronger the adsorption capacity for the metal, and the easier the oil film is formed. The choice of lubricating oil should take into account factors such as bearing capacity, journal rotation speed, lubrication method, and surface roughness of sliding bearings.
The general principles are as follows:

1. Under high-speed and light-load working conditions, in order to reduce frictional power consumption, a lubricant with a small viscosity can be selected;
2. Under heavy or shock load working conditions, oil with large oiliness and high viscosity should be used to form a stable lubricating film;
3, static pressure or dynamic and static pressure sliding bearings can choose a small viscosity lubricant;
4. Surfaces with rough or unrunned surfaces should be selected with high viscosity lubricants.

The selection of the viscosity of the lubricating oil for hydrodynamically lubricated bearings can be checked by calculation.

Grease

For plain bearings with a journal speed of less than 1 m/s to 2 m/s, grease can be used. The grease is blended with mineral oil, various thickeners (such as calcium, sodium, lithium, aluminum and other metal soaps) and water. The grease has a large consistency (needle penetration) and a large carrying capacity, but its physical and chemical properties are unstable. It should not be used under conditions of large temperature changes, and is often used in low-speed heavy-duty or oscillating bearings.
Solid lubricants and gas lubricants

Solid lubricants include graphite, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Generally used under heavy load conditions or under high temperature working conditions. Gas lubricants are commonly used in air, and are used at high speeds and in oils or greases.

Lubrication method

Providing lubricant to the bearing is a necessary condition for forming a lubricating film. The hydrostatic bearing and the hydrostatic bearing continuously supply oil to the bearing bush of the sliding bearing through the oil pump, the throttle and the oil groove, and form an oil film to separate the bearing bush from the journal surface. The oil film of the dynamic pressure sliding bearing is to bring the lubricating oil into the bearing gap by the rotation of the journal, and the oil supply mode includes continuous oil supply and intermittent oil supply.

Intermittent oil supply:

Intermittent oil supply can be oiled by the oil pot and the needle valve can be used to fill the oil through the oil cup. The grease lubrication can only be used intermittently.

Press-fit injection oil cup

Needle valve type oil cup
Continuous oil supply:

Core oil supply oil ring oil supply

Pressure supply
Selection principle:

The lubrication method of the sliding bearing can be determined according to the coefficient k

In the formula:
p=F/(dB)--average pressure (MPa);
V-- journal speed (m/s).
K≤2--lubricated, oil cup lubrication;
k=2—16--needle valve type oil cup lubrication;
k=16-32 oil ring or splash lubrication;
K≥32--pressure cycle lubrication.
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