Verschleißsimulation grenz- und mischreibungsbehafteter Wälzkontakte

This contribution presents an approach for the numerical wear calculation of rolling/sliding-contacts. The finite element method based simulation model of Winkler [1] is extended to include contacts subject to boundary lubrication in addition to contacts subject to mixed lubrication. Using the example of an axial cylindrical roller bearing and two load cases, wear-modeling results of the mixed and boundary lubrication regime are illustrated.

Untersuchung von Ionischen Flüssigkeiten unter Stromfluss

Every year 23 % of the world energy consumption is caused by friction and wear. Especially now and in future bearings and gear boxes will be exposed to electrical currents so lubricants have to prevent the components from new damage mechanism. The usage of Ionic Liquids as conductible lubricant additives is in discussion for a longer period of time, but right now it was not investigated how these liquids could be affect by electrical currents itself. Generally, lubricants in industry are compounded by base oils, additives, and thickeners. All these ingredients are isolators and not able to discharge electrical currents. In these joint research project, different Ionic Liquids with different conductivities have been exposed to defined electrical currents. For that experiments a new current feed setup has been developed, where the liquids and model lubricants were exposed to electrical currents under temperature control. The influence on the liquids by the current feed was chemically quantified by using IR-Spectroscopy, rheology and conductivity measurements. The Ionic Liquids react, depending on their chemical structure, very different on the current feeds, some of them has been destroyed totally.

Test and evaluation method for greases in grease-sealing rotary shaft seals

Grease-lubricated sealing systems show starved lubrication much more frequently than oil lubricated sealing systems. Different greases provide different lubricity to the sealing system. A test and evaluation method was developed that allows to assess the lubricity of different greases and to compare them with each other. The test and evaluation method consists of a test run and a subsequent analysis of the test components. The test run comprises a 24-hour speed collective and is performed on a test rig using real sealing system components. For the evaluation method, eight criteria are analysed, which are rated suitable for evaluating starved lubrication. The criteria include parameters measured during the test run, such as friction torque and temperature, as well as parameters inspected in the subsequent examination of all test components. All criteria are assessed and combined to an overall score, that allows to directly compare different greases with each other. The test and evaluation method developed reveals significant differences between 23 greases examined. Thus, the lubricity of greases in sealing systems can be analysed and compared much more quickly than in the past. Thanks to the rapid testing and focused evaluation of the relevant criteria, greases can be tested much more cost- and resource-efficiently than before.

Vergleichende Untersuchung der Verschleißbilder von Steckverbindern aus Reibverschleiß- und Vibrationsprüfungen mit unterschiedlichen Prüfrichtungen

In this study a comparison between the wear patterns of electrical connectors resulting from two different test types, namely fretting corrosion test and vibration test, is conducted. In both tests, the excitation directions include the mating direction as well as the orthogonal directions corresponding to the mating direction. Different measurement techniques are used to identify similarities and differences between the wear resulting from these test types. The results show fundamentally different critical directions with regard to wear for the respective test types. Furthermore, it is shown that the induced movement of the fretting tests lead to a higher degree of wear than the vibration tests. Also, it is not adequately possible to establish a direct relationship between the induced movement and the excitation amplitude caused by the attached wires since there is a superposition of several movements in the case of real applications.

Verbesserte Tribokorrosionsbeständigkeit des martensitischen Stahls X54CrMoVN17-1 durch die Erzeugung von expanded martensite

Seal-free, media-lubricated rolling bearings have a high-energy efficiency as the absence of the seal minimizes frictional loss and increases the efficiency of the driven machine. In addition, the environment is protected by the absence of hazardous lubricants. However, media-lubrication increases tribocorrosive attack on the bearing surface. Therefore, the tribocorrosion resistance of the bearing surface can be increased by a thermal surface treatment called low-temperature plasma nitriding. The produced “expanded martensite” in martensitic steels features a high hardness with comparatively good corrosion resistance. Tribocorrosion tests in 0.9 % NaCl-solution show that the material loss could be reduced by 70 % due to expanded martensite compared to the initial state of the steel.

A novel method for the evaluation of the contamination dispersing ability of lubricants (CONTA-DISP)

Water and solid particulate contamination are the two most common contaminants of lubricated systems and may be highly problematic for these systems. To reduce downtime and prevent failure, lubricant formulations contain detergent and dispersant additives that play an important role in terms of contamination tolerance. In lack of a practical procedure for the determination of the relevant properties, a novel method for the evaluation of the dispersing ability of lubricating oils is introduced. Following and combining established lubricant analysis methods, a procedure with optimum parameters was found. An assessment of the method using fresh and artificially altered lubricating oils allowed a differentiation concerning their dispersing ability.

How to measure the radial load of radial lip seals

The radial load of a radial lip seal indicates how strongly the sealing lip is pressed on the shaft. The radial load significantly affects the function of the seal. The German standard DIN 3761-9 describes the measurement of the radial load according to the split-shaft method but leaves room for interpretation. During the revision of the standard, a parameter study was conducted at the University of Stuttgart. This study analyses the influence of the measurement device, the mandrels and the measuring procedure on the results. Based on the study results, recommendations are derived and summarized in a best-practice guideline, which should enable an appropriate and reproducible measurement of the radial load.

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.