Future polyimide coatings used in high loaded bearings

Abstract

PurposeTo prevent damages of machinery elements and enhancing life lubrication by using new surface engineering techniques.Design/methodology/approachA new “wet” coating technique offers an easy and promising route to modify steel surfaces. The design of surface coatings and the results of an official bearing test are presented.FindingsBased on common bearing tests (e.g. DIN 51819), wear behaviour and tribological properties of modified surfaces are verified.Research limitations/implicationsOur actual research proves an enhanced tribological behaviour in the case of improving surface properties. In contrast, to the common vapour deposition techniques the “wet” coating method seems to offer an alternative route to get surfaces with enhanced tribological properties.Practical implicationsThe technique of “wet” coating offers an easy route to modify steel surfaces of all kinds of bearings.Originality/valuePre‐polymer coating provides a promising future technique for surface engineering.