Improving the Tribological Properties of Gear Synchronizations by Adjusting the Metalworking Fluid Composition of the Grinding Process

Abstract

Abstract:The modification of tribological properties of highly loaded components by selecting a suitable manufacturing process is state-of-the-art. Beyond the generation of microgeometrical structures, the present study investigates the potential of chemical alterations, i.e., metalworking fluid additives engaged in a grinding process to improve the chemical surface properties of machined gear synchronizations. These gearbox components ensure a uniform switching operation by harmonizing the number of revolutions between the power transmitting components by friction. A short running-in phase and a friction coefficient which is constant over the entire duration of use are required. The results show that the addition of polysulfide as well as zincdialkyldithiophosphate in the metalworking fluid could considerably reduce the friction coefficient fluctuations and the running-in phase of the generated synchronizations in later operation tests. The wear distances were lower although the machined parts revealed higher surface roughnesses as the reference workpieces, which indicates the formation of sorption or reaction layers of the additives with the metal surface.