Surface engineering design on alleviating fretting wear: a review

Abstract This paper introduces the definition, classification, and running modes of fretting damage, as well as industrial phenomena of fretting damage cases. It is detail reviewed the progress of two-types fretting map theory (running condition fretting map-RCFM and material response fretting map-MRFM), and outlines the protection strategy of fretting wear according to the fretting map theory, i.e. eliminating the mixed fretting regime and slip regime, increasing the strength of the contact surface, reducing the coefficient of friction, and selecting and matching of materials. Several surface engineering techniques (such as PVD, laser surface modification technology, bonded solid lubricant coating, thermal spraying coating, and micro-arc oxidation coating) against fretting wear are reviewed, several mechanisms to alleviating fretting wear are proposed as well as a collection of practical examples of surface engineering designs to anti-fretting wear. Base on the review of previous studies, mechanisms of surface engineering technologies for alleviating fretting wear have been proposed. In addition, the content and process of surface engineering design are introduced in this paper. A quantitative evaluation method using polar coordinate diagram is applied to choose appropriate surface engineering technology. Finally, taking the locking pin of variable gauge train as an example, the process of surface engineering design is further expounded.