Effect of Temperature on Aluminum Alloy (Al4032) using Textured Surface

Larger domain of surface texture geometry and other input variables related to engine operation i.e. elevated temperature has remained to be studied for finding suitable surface texture for real-time engine operations. In previous efforts to find suitable surface texture geometry and technique, the tribological performance of the piston material (Al4032) with dimples of varying diameters (90 to 240 µm) was evaluated under mixed lubrication conditions in a pin-on-disk configuration. The disc was textured using a ball nose end mill cutter via conventional micromachining techniques. The area density and aspect ratio (depth to diameter) of the dimples were kept constant at 10% and 1/6, respectively. SAE 20W-40 oil was used as a lubricant with three separate drop volumes. The experiments were conducted in oscillating motion at a temperature of 150°C. Conventional micromachining achieved improved dimensional precision and minimized thermal damage. Textured surfaces have shown reduced friction at elevated temperatures when lubrication is in a mixed regime. The results of this study will be analyzed and reported to find suitable surface texture geometry for reduced friction in the piston-ring-liner.