Improving the wear resistance of guides: tribological analysis, surface texture and lubricants

The article considers the main failure modes of guides, in particular wear and contact fatigue, which depend on friction between contact surfaces. The influence of tribological parameters, in particular surface roughness and lubricating structures, on the operational characteristics of linear guides is studied. Particular attention is paid to the dynamic behavior of guides, which determines the accuracy and stability of mechanical systems. To predict wear, mathematical models based on the Archard and Hertz theories were used, which allow estimating load distribution and contact deformations. The influence of lubricants, in particular molybdenum disulfide and hexagonal boron nitride, on reducing the friction coefficient and improving antifriction properties was separately studied. The prospects for using new materials, such as cubic boron nitride, to increase the wear resistance of guides are considered. Methods for optimizing the load between rolling elements, which contributes to increasing the durability of guides, are proposed. The results obtained can be used to improve the designs of high-precision mechanical systems and reduce operating costs.