Studies on friction and wear properties of surface produced by ultrasonic vibration-assisted milling

Surface texture plays an important role in sliding contact cases, and texture pattern has a direct link to the tribological behavior of a component. In the present investigation, the ultrasonic vibration-assisted milling (UVAM) method was used to produce uniform scaly textured surfaces with different scale size, and then, the friction and wear properties of these machined scaly surfaces were experimentally studied on a pin-on-plate tribometer under a starved oil lubrication condition. Experimental results indicate that compared with a smooth surface machined by conventional milling, both the fluctuation of friction coefficient curve and average friction coefficient value of a scaly surface produced in UVAM become smaller, and there are also obvious improvements in their wear resistance capability and bearing capacity. Using the forced ultrasonic vibration-assisted milling method to produce a textured surface can open up a new realm for the investigation of surface texture.