Sliding bearings are superior to rolling bearings in heavy engineering, especially in the paper industry, for various reasons. The weak point, however, is the wear-intensive start-up behaviour of highly loaded sliding bearings. Therefore, this project aims at developing an innovative process for the surface structuring of sliding bearing by means of ultrashort pulse lasers. The microstructures in the bearing shell shall improve the tribological behavior of the plain bearings in order to reduce wear during operation and to increase the longevity of the bearings significantly. Three different effects shall be achieved by the microstructuring: Increase of the lubricant film thickness between the friction partners, absorption and removal of abrasion particles and function of the microstructures as lubrication pockets to reduce the interfacial friction. Among other things, these measures are intended to accelerate the breakaway torque and friction coefficient of the contact partners in the mixed friction area and the transition to the liquid friction area.

Contact: Georg Schnell M.Sc.

Founding: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWi)

Duration: 09/2020-07/2022

Cooperation: lOS Miesbach GmbH, 83714 Miesbach