Study on the influence of the parameters of the roller swaging process on the no-load starting torque of self-lubricating spherical plain bearings

The no-load starting torque of the self-lubricating spherical plain bearings (SSPBs) is directly related to the safety and service life of the aircraft. Therefore, the no-load starting torque can be reasonably controlled, which is one of the key technologies for the application of the SSPBs. The roller swaging process was described in this paper, and a 3D elastic-plastic simulation model of the process was established. The influence of the process parameters such as the swaging load, the rotational speed of the swaging tool, and the feeding speed on the no-load starting torque were quantitatively investigated. Finally, the roller swaging experimentation and the no-load starting torque experimentation were conducted, and the simulation results were compared with the experimental results. The study shows that the experimental results are in good agreement with the simulation results. The swaging load has a significant impact on the no-load starting torque, while the feeding speed has a relatively small impact on it. According to the bearing type of MS14101-9, to make its no-load starting torque meet the requirements of the aviation standards, the swaging load should be controlled to not more than 5000N, the rotational speed of the swaging tool should not be more than 250 rpm, and the feeding speed should be in the range of 0.1–0.2 mm/s. This research provides a theoretical reference for the reasonable control of the no-load starting torque of the bearing during the roller swaging process, which has important engineering and technical value.