Effects of laser dimple texturing on the sliding wear of friction pairs

In order to reduce the sliding wear of friction pairs under dry friction condition, the surfaces of friction pairs were textured with morphology of dimples using laser etching technique, and the influence of surface micromorphology on the wear rate of friction pairs was studied. The results show that the laser dimple texturing can reduce abrasive wear of the friction pairs when they were in rolling contact and sliding movements, the occurrence of pear-shaped ditches was eliminated and damage of the surface oxide layer was relieved. The well-preserved surface oxide layer would restrain the penetration of air oxygen molecules into the friction pair, thanks to the dense oxide layer, and thereby reduce the wear rate. For the friction pair textured with morphology of etched dimples, the oxide layer is well preserved, its wear rate is reduced, and the oxygen atomic mass percentage on the surface is rather low.