Influence of Tribolayer on Rolling Bearing Fatigue Performed on an FE8 Test Rig—A Follow-up

Abstract

The tribological contact between raceways and rolling elements is essential for rolling bearing performance and lifetime. The geometrical description of these contacts is well known and can be used in several mechanical simulation tools. The material description, especially of the near-surface volume after interaction with lubricants, is not as simple. In particular, the Schaeffler FE8-25 test with cylindrical roller thrust bearings exhibits different failure modes depending on the lubricant chemistry. The main failure mechanisms of this test are sub-surface fatigue damage due to WECs (White Etching Cracks) and/or surface-induced fatigue damage (SIF). The harsh test conditions with mixed friction at high speeds and multiple slip conditions over the raceway width additionally provides different tribological conditions on a small area. This leads finally to the formation of certain tribological layers on the raceway because of the interaction of the surface with the lubricant chemistry under local frictional energies, which are worth investigating. The characterization of the layers was performed by the two less time-consuming, spatially resolved analysis methods of µXRF and ATR FTIR microscopy adapted by Schaeffler. This paper shows the results of this research and offers new approaches to optimizing rolling bearing testing and predicting the risk of early failures.