Friction and wear behavior of electroless nick coating used for spindle of cotton picker

Abstract

Purpose – The severe friction and wear of the spindle in a cotton picker often occur in a picking cotton, which affects the spindle lifetime and its efficiency of picking cottons. This paper aims to investigate the effect of an electroless nick coating on the spindle performances to avoid its abnormal phenomena. Design/methodology/approach – First, it is coated on the surface of the test specimen with the material same as that of the spindle. Then, the friction coefficient and wear for the coating are measured under oil lubrication to evaluate its effect in improving the tribological performances for the spindle. Findings – The stabilized friction coefficient of the electroless nick coating decreases with increasing reciprocating frequency of specimen and increasing applied load. There exists a critical coating thickness yielding the smallest friction coefficient. Moreover, this coating has a property of the smaller friction coefficient in comparison with a hard chromium coating. Originality/value – The research about the electroless nick effect on the spindle’s tribological performances is not found yet to date. To avoid severe friction and wear of the spindle, this paper investigated how the reciprocating frequency of specimen, applied load and coating thickness affect the spindle’s tribological performances. The associated conclusions can provide a reference to enhance the spindle lifetime and its transmission efficiency.