Increasing the wear resistance of rolling bearings by laser shock peening

Rolling bearings are among the most common components, used in virtually all branches of industry—from bicycles to space stations, including industrial and machinery equipment, automobiles, aircraft, rockets, and household appliances. Residual stresses and surface quality play a significant role in enhancing the tribological characteristics of friction pairs. Laser shock peening (LSP) is a promising method for residual stresses design, allowing for their magnitude and depth to be varied over a wide range. This study involved the LSP of friction pairs made from high-chromium bearing steel grade AISI 440-С (95Х18Ш in Russia). The results demonstrate significant improvements in tribological characteristics under both dry and boundary friction conditions. LSP led to a change in the wear mechanism, which in turn reduces wear.