Wear analysis of an automotive window regulator slider

Abstract

The slider, which is made of polyoxymethylene, is the key component of an automotive window regulator. Its function is to guide the window's movement, but it is prone to wear and tear. To reduce noise and improve the wear life of slider, a study of its contact characteristic and the wear life is significant. In this paper, the wear and friction properties of polyoxymethylene under dry sliding condition and grease lubrication condition are investigated using a pin-on-disc apparatus. The complex force conditions of the slider at the normal working condition are studied by a mechanics analysis method. The contact pressure of slider is analyzed by the finite element analysis and the wear of slider is calculated by the proposed wear prediction model. Prediction of the wear life of slider is verified by a window regulator wear experiment. Results show that the value of wear rate of polyoxymethylene under unlubricated condition is much higher than that under lubricated condition. The estimation of wear depth of slider, based on the combination of finite element contact pressure analysis and wear properties of polyoxymethylene, is in accordance with window regulator wear test under unlubricated condition. Besides, the practical wear depth of slider under grease lubrication condition is also in the range of the predicted wear depth of slider under dry and grease lubrication condition.