Numerical study of the influence of hardening inclusions in the surface layer of bronze on the features of sliding friction

Additive technologies already make it possible to obtain products from various materials with a complex structure. The most promising additive technology for producing metal products with hardened surface layers is vacuum electron beam printing using wire filaments and powders. Due to the high labor content and cost of the printing modes adjustment for such materials, computer simulation is a promising way to determine their optimal structure, which ensures high efficiency under operating conditions. In this work, a three-dimensional numerical model of a tribotechnical composite based on bronze was built using the method of movable cellular automata, which has been successfully utilized for 20 years to solve such problems. The influence of the concentration of hardening inclusions in the surface layer of composites on the establishment of a steady friction, the dynamic behavior of the friction coefficient, and structure formation in the tribolayer during interaction has been numerically studied.