Tribology Characteristics in 300 μm of Hexagonal Array Dimple Pattern

In the tribological performance of materials, a textured surface reduces the friction coefficient and wear. This study investigates the effects of a pattern of 300 µm dimples in a hexagonal array on the tribological characteristics. Previous studies investigated 200 µm dimples by using a similar material and method. There are three frictional conditions based on the Stribeck curve: boundary friction, mixed friction, and fluid friction. In this experiment, we investigated the frictional characteristics by conducting frictional tests at sliding speeds ranging from 9.6 rpm to 143.3 rpm and a normal load ranging from 13.6 N to 92 N. We used a photolithography method to create dimples for surface texturing. We used five specimens with different dimple densities 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30% in this study. The dimple density on the surface area is one of the important factors affecting the friction characteristics. The duty number graph indicates a fully developed fluid friction regime. Fluid friction occurs at a velocity of 28.7-143.3 rpm. We observed the best performance at a dimple density of 10% and a dimple diameter of 300 µm in the hexagonal array, the lowest friction coefficient at 0.0037 with 9.6 rpm 9.6N load, and the maximum friction coefficient at 0.0267 with 143.3 rpm 92N load.