Design and fabrication of complex laser surface textures for lubricant guidance in frictional contacts (LASERGUIDE)
Funded by: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
Running time: 01.08.2026 - 31.07.2029
Cooperation partner: Institut für Konstruktionswissenschaften und Produktentwicklung, Technische Universität Wien
In tribology, surface structuring has been widely employed to improve the performance of contacting surfaces. Surface features can, for example, enhance hydrodynamic pressure generation or act as reservoirs for lubricants and traps for wear particles. However, structures located directly within the contact zone are themselves subjected to wear. Once these topographical features are removed, their beneficial effects are lost. This limitation becomes particularly relevant under harsh operating conditions, such as starved lubrication, where an insufficient lubricant supply within the tribologically loaded contact can lead to a drastic increase in friction and wear.
Lubrication starvation occurs when the lubricant film within the tribological contact ruptures and the lubricant subsequently migrates out of the contact zone. This process can be induced by large pressure gradients, centrifugal forces in high-speed applications, or surface-tension gradients arising, for example, from temperature variations across the surface. In this context, appropriately designed surface structures could provide a means to either prevent lubricant migration or actively guide lubricant back into the contact zone. Such an approach could help maintain effective lubrication under demanding operating conditions and ultimately extend the lifetime of machine components for which wear is a critical limiting factor.
The objective of this project is to investigate the fundamental mechanisms governing directional lubricant spreading and the influence of specifically designed surface structures on the resulting spreading characteristics. With potential future applications in machine elements, the project aims to systematically determine how asymmetric and complex laser surface textures can be used to control lubricant migration and thereby prevent starvation in frictional contacts, for example, in machine elements such as roller bearings.
Contact:
© Matias Alvarez
Mr Matias Alvarez
M. Eng.
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