A surface coating process for self-lubricating thrust bearings

Abstract

A surface coating process of self-lubricating thrust bearing includes the following steps: providing a substrate layer and performing surface grinding treatment on the substrate layer; performing sand blasting treatment on the substrate layer; performing ultrasonic hydrocarbon treatment on the surface layer after sand blasting to improve the cleanliness of the surface layer; providing a clamp and clamping the hydrocarbon-treated substrate layer on the clamp; providing a silk screen plate provided with at least one silk screen hole, and uniformly coating coating raw materials on the surface of the friction member by the silk screen hole; performing drying heat treatment on the product by using an inert gas heating furnace; and rubbing the surface of the coating by using a high-mesh grinding wheel or grinding paper to flatten the protruding surface to obtain both the friction coating and the required flatness. The surface coating process improves the bonding force between the coating and the substrate layer by grinding, sand blasting and hydrocarbon treatment on the basis of fully ensuring the lubricating effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of self-lubricating thrust bearing manufacturing technology, and in particular to a surface coating process for self-lubricating thrust bearings. Background Technology

[0002] Self-lubricating thrust bearings are a common and widely used structural component. They are used in rotating or transmission mechanisms to reduce friction and noise, making them an essential structural part in mechanical equipment. As is well known, self-lubricating thrust bearings generally consist of two functional layers: a base layer and a self-lubricating layer disposed on top of the base layer. Currently, the main methods for placing the self-lubricating layer on the base layer are powder sintering and hot extrusion. These manufacturing processes have several drawbacks. First, they involve a large heat gradient distribution, affecting the uniformity of the material's microstructure. Second, they require specialized molds for forming, resulting in complex forming processes and poor machinability. Furthermore, these methods are time-consuming, hindering efficiency and cost reduction. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the present invention provides a surface coating process for a self-lubricating thrust bearing to solve the above problems.

[0004] A surface coating process for a self-lubricating thrust bearing includes the following steps: STEP101: Provide a substrate layer and perform surface grinding on the substrate layer to improve the flatness of the substrate layer surface; STEP102: Sandblast the substrate layer to improve the surface roughness of the substrate layer; STEP103: Perform ultrasonic hydrocarbon treatment on the sandblasted surface layer to improve its cleanliness; STEP 104: Provide a fixture and clamp the hydrocarbon-treated substrate layer onto the fixture; STEP 105: Provide a screen printing plate with at least one mesh opening, using the mesh opening to evenly coat the surface of the friction component with a coating material; STEP 106: Dry the product using an inert gas heating furnace; STEP107: Using a high-grit abrasive wheel or sandpaper, the surface of the friction coating is smoothed to achieve both a friction coating and the required flatness.

[0005] Furthermore, the substrate layer is made of a metallic material.

[0006] Furthermore, the substrate layer may be made of a non-metallic material.

[0007] Furthermore, the metal material is steel, copper, or aluminum-clad steel.

[0008] Furthermore, the metallic material is a multilayer material, comprising a steel backing layer and a copper powder layer sintered on the steel backing layer.

[0009] Furthermore, the material used for sandblasting is brown fused alumina.

[0010] Furthermore, the uneven structure formed by STEP105 is also filled with lubricating oil.

[0011] Furthermore, the abrasive paper or abrasive wheel has a mesh size of 2000 or higher.

[0012] Compared with existing technologies, the surface coating process for the self-lubricating thrust bearing provided by this invention improves the adhesion between the coating and the substrate layer by grinding, sandblasting, and hydrocarbon treatment while ensuring sufficient lubrication. Specifically, sandblasting improves the flatness of the ground surface and increases its roughness, thereby ensuring a strong adhesion between the subsequent coating and the ground surface and preventing peeling during use. Simultaneously, a screen printing plate is used to create the coating, forming multiple spaced depressions on the sandblasted surface, thus creating a textured structure. This textured structure not only stores lubricating oil, which generates dynamic pressure during the relative sliding of the bearing and shaft, but also improves lubrication and reduces friction, accelerating the initial break-in process, especially during the initial mixed lubrication. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The following provides a more detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that the description of the embodiments of the present invention herein is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0014] The present invention provides a surface coating process for a self-lubricating thrust bearing, which includes the following steps: STEP101: Provide a substrate layer and perform surface grinding on the substrate layer to improve the flatness of the substrate layer surface; STEP102: Sandblast the substrate layer to form a surface layer with a uniform uneven structure on the surface of the substrate layer; STEP103: Ultrasonic hydrocarbon treatment is applied to the surface layer with an uneven structure to improve the cleanliness of the surface layer.

[0015] STEP104: Provide a fixture and clamp the hydrocarbon-treated substrate layer onto the fixture.

[0016] STEP105: Provide a screen plate with at least one screen hole for uniformly coating the coating material onto the surface of the friction part using the screen hole.

[0017] STEP106: Dry the product using an inert gas heating furnace.

[0018] STEP107: Using a high-grit abrasive wheel and sandpaper, the surface of the friction coating is smoothed to achieve both a friction coating and the required flatness.

[0019] In STEP 101, the substrate layer can be made of a metallic material or a non-metallic material. The metallic material can be steel, copper, or aluminum-clad steel, etc. The metallic material can also be a multi-layered material, such as a steel backing layer and a copper powder layer sintered on the steel backing layer; these are existing technologies and will not be elaborated further. The non-metallic material can be a sheet formed by winding plastic or resin-impregnated glass fiber. It is conceivable that when the substrate layer is a non-metallic material, it will form the shape required for the bearing during molding, such as a ring, a bearing bush, etc. The grinding process itself is an existing technology, which grinds the flatness of the working surface of the substrate layer to a set parameter. In this embodiment, the substrate layer includes a steel backing layer and a copper powder layer sintered on the steel backing layer.

[0020] In STEP 102, sandblasting the working surface of the substrate layer increases its roughness to form a sandblasted surface, thereby increasing the adhesion between the working surface and the coating. Specifically, in this embodiment, the roughness of the working surface of the steel powder layer is increased by sandblasting the copper powder layer, thus forming the sandblasted surface. The material used for sandblasting can be brown corundum, and the sandblasting process itself is a prior art, which will not be described in detail here.

[0021] In STEP103, hydrocarbons are the common name for organic compounds composed solely of carbon and hydrogen. Ultrasonic hydrocarbon treatment is an industrial cleaning process that combines ultrasonic cleaning technology with hydrocarbon solvent cleaning. It utilizes the ultrasonic cavitation effect to achieve efficient dirt removal in hydrocarbon solvents. This technology uses an ultrasonic generator to produce high-frequency vibrations, forming microbubbles in the hydrocarbon solvent that burst instantaneously, generating shock waves to remove oil, particles, and other contaminants from the workpiece surface, thereby achieving the purpose of cleaning the sandblasted surface.

[0022] In STEP104, the fixture can be designed according to actual needs; it can be a gripping type, a suction cup type, etc. This fixture is used to hold the sandblasted substrate layer for subsequent processes.

[0023] In STEP105, the structure of the screen plate can be designed according to actual needs. The screen plate can form raised dots with a specific arrangement on the sandblasted surface. This not only reduces the amount of coating material used and lowers costs, but the resulting uneven structure can also alter the break-in process. Because lubricating oil can be stored in the gaps of the uneven structure, this lubricating oil generates dynamic pressure during the relative sliding of the bearing and shaft, thereby further improving lubrication, reducing friction, and accelerating the initial break-in process, especially during the initial mixed lubrication. Simultaneously, the uneven structure can also stabilize the oil film and chip-holding capacity, i.e., store the debris from the break-in process, thereby further improving wear life. The coating material can be a mixture of graphite, molybdenum disulfide, polytetrafluoroethylene, and adhesives, which is itself a common solid lubricant, as disclosed in patent application CN202011468535.3. Therefore, it is prior art and will not be elaborated further here.

[0024] In STEP106, an inert gas, such as argon, is used to heat and dry the coated bearing material. Using an inert gas protects the product from oxidation and prevents it from being blackened by high temperatures.

[0025] In STEP107, polishing the coating with high-grit sandpaper or abrasive wheels results in a high degree of smoothness, which further reduces the coefficient of friction, especially during the initial break-in period.

[0026] Compared with existing technologies, the surface coating process for the self-lubricating thrust bearing provided by this invention improves the adhesion between the coating and the substrate layer by grinding, sandblasting, and hydrocarbon treatment while ensuring sufficient lubrication. Specifically, sandblasting improves the flatness of the ground surface and increases its roughness, thereby ensuring a strong adhesion between the subsequent coating and the ground surface and preventing peeling during use. Simultaneously, a screen printing plate is used to create the coating, forming multiple spaced depressions on the sandblasted surface, thus creating a textured structure. This textured structure not only stores lubricating oil, which generates dynamic pressure during the relative sliding of the bearing and shaft, but also improves lubrication and reduces friction, accelerating the initial break-in process, especially during the initial mixed lubrication.

[0027] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions or improvements within the spirit of the present invention are covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A surface coating process for a self-lubricating thrust bearing, comprising the following steps: STEP101: Provide a substrate layer and perform surface grinding on the substrate layer to improve the flatness of the substrate layer surface; STEP102: Sandblast the substrate layer to improve the surface roughness of the substrate layer; STEP103: Perform ultrasonic hydrocarbon treatment on the sandblasted surface layer to improve its cleanliness; STEP 104: Provide a fixture and clamp the hydrocarbon-treated substrate layer onto the fixture; STEP105: Provide a screen printing plate with at least one screen opening for uniformly coating the surface of the friction component using the screen opening; STEP 106: Dry the product using an inert gas heating furnace; STEP107: Using a high-grit abrasive wheel or sandpaper, the surface of the friction coating is smoothed to achieve both a friction coating and the required flatness.

2. The surface coating process for the self-lubricating thrust bearing as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The substrate layer is made of a metallic material.

3. The surface coating process for the self-lubricating thrust bearing as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The substrate layer can be made of non-metallic materials.

4. The surface coating process for the self-lubricating thrust bearing as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The metal material is steel, copper, or aluminum-clad steel.

5. The surface coating process for the self-lubricating thrust bearing as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The metallic material is a multilayer material, comprising a steel backing layer and a copper powder layer sintered on the steel backing layer.

6. The surface coating process for the self-lubricating thrust bearing as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The material used for sandblasting is brown fused alumina.

7. The surface coating process for the self-lubricating thrust bearing as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The uneven structure formed by STEP105 is also filled with lubricating oil.

8. The surface coating process for the self-lubricating thrust bearing as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The abrasive paper or abrasive wheel has a mesh size of 2000 or higher.