Comparing tribological effects of various chevron-based surface textures under lubricated unidirectional sliding

Experiments were carried out using a pin-on-disc tribological tester in a flat-on-flat configuration in unidirectional sliding. Both counterparts were made from steel with 50 HRC hardness. The normal load was 20 N, the sliding speed was 0.4 m/s, the number of revolutions was 10,000. Before each test, one drop of L-AN-46 oil (0.08 ml) was supplied to the inlet side of the contact zone. The discs were textured using abrasive jet machining. Tribological effects of eight chevron-based textures were compared with that of the surface having circular oil pockets. All textures had the same pit-area ratios and depths. The untextured assembly was also tested for comparison. It was found that chevron-shaped dimples were sensitive to their angular orientation to the direction of sliding. The best tribological performances were achieved for chevrons inclined to the outer sides of the rotating discs.