Increasing the operational reliability of car variators due to creating regular surface microrelief by laser ablation

Abstract

Abstract The paper analyzes the car variator reliability issue. The variator performance is ensured by the surface layer quality, manufacturing accuracy, and the pulley and steel V-belt surface microrelief. The decisive factor in ensuring the variator reliability is the pulley finishing technique. Creating regular microreliefs on the finished pulley surface by laser ablation has been proposed, which act as micro-channels to improve the drainage of oil from the contact pattern. Creating oil channels on the pulley surface by laser ablation will ensure their arrangement and allow obtaining the desired pattern, direction, depth, and length.