Investigation of the surface integrity of mechano-chemically finished powder metallurgy gears

Paper in proceeding, 2022

Automotive gears are facing stringent requirements regarding weight and functional surfaces, especially in view of the electric powertrain. To achieve these demands, powder metallurgy gears need to be finished using grinding, and in certain cases, mechano-chemical treatments. With regards to the latter, five different triboconditioning strategies based on vibratory tub finishing and/or centrifugal barrel finishing were considered and their effects on the surface integrity and friction behavior were investigated. Triboconditioning improved the surface roughness after grinding and resulted in higher compressive residual stresses. Additionally, microscopic observations of the surface topography were carried out. The lowest friction coefficients were observed for triboconditioning with a doped material (tribofilm) on the finished surface.