Tribologisches Einsatzverhalten von PVD-Festschmierstoffsystemen im fluidfreien Wälzkontakt

For special applications, the lubrication of gearboxes with liquid lubricants is not feasible. Liquid lubricants lose their positive lubricating properties when exposed to high contact stress and temperature fluctuations, for example. In the food industry and medical technology, liquid lubricants are often not permitted due to hygiene regulations. Solid lubricants offer an approach to implement dry tooth contacts. In this report, three different solid lubricant coating systems are investigated under different operating conditions. The focus of the experi mental investigation is the application behavior in terms of friction force and wear behavior. In a direct comparison, the MoS2:Ti-TiN coating system achieves the highest load level and exhibits a station ary frictional force behavior compared to the a-C:H:Ti-TiN coating system. In the wear investigation, continuous coating wear was found in addition to coating delamination. The layer wear correlates with an increasing friction force in interval operation.

IR Imaging of Solid Lubricant Coatings on Concealed/Disjointed Surfaces for Transparent Polymer Delivery Device Applications

Transparent polymer delivery devices often contain a solid lubricant coating on a stronger bulk polymer. The distribution of lubricant coating must be monitored for device optimisation appraisals and to ensure consistency during mass production. However, coating evaluation is difficult to perform as surfaces are often concealed and/or disjointed. Dye stain analysis, which is destructive and time-consuming, is the current industry standard. We present a prototype IR transmission microscope to evaluate micron-level coating coverage of polyurethane and/or polyvinylpyrrolidone on a poly(propylene)-based delivery device. The device has a common industrial configuration, containing a duct and bevel. Inferred absorption of the coating was used to identify coating coverage and a multivariate analysis was used to remove the effects of absorption and scattering by the bulk. Coverage on concealed and disjointed surfaces was imaged and evaluated from a single camera viewpoint and ≈50 μm defects were detectable. The industrial applicability of the prototype was demonstrated using comparisons with dye stain analysis by estimating water dilution of coating and identifying artifacts in coating, which may indicate machine malfunction. The sensitivity and speed of the IR technique makes it a favourable alternative to the current industry standard.