Leaf geometric characteristics of Monstera deliciosa : effects on tribological and friction-induced vibration behaviors of rolling bearings under starved lubrication

Long, Risheng (author), Chen, Jiaxin (author), Gao, Fangfeng (author), Huang, Ruidan (author), Gao, Shuzhi (author), Zong, Lin (author)

To prolong the service life of the rolling bearings and improve the reliability of the associated mechanical systems, inspired by the leaves of Monstera deliciosa, eleven biomimetic texture patterns, featuring various leaf-geometry characteristics — such as leaf-veins, elliptical holes, and their combinations — were designed and prepared on the raceway of the shaft washer of cylindrical rollers thrust bearings using a laser surface texturing method. The effects of these leaf-inspired patterns on the tribological and friction-induced vibration performance of rolling bearings were systematically investigated under starved lubrication conditions. The results show that a significant “superposition effect” on vibration signals was observed in the earlier stages of testing, but this effect diminished over time. Larger aspect ratios of elliptical holes did not improve the friction-wear performance of the biomimetic textured groups. When the elliptic area was larger, the bearing experienced relatively lower wear losses, higher average coefficients of friction, and greater fluctuations in time-domain vibration signals. The influence of different elliptic areas on the frequency-domain vibration signals was minimal. This work would provide a valuable insight into the raceway optimization of rolling bearings.

• Language: English
• Keywords: rolling bearings, biomimetic surface texture, tribological and friction-induced vibration, starved lubrication
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 55-71
• Numbering: Vol. 72, no. 3/4
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-182481
• UDC: 621.822.6:539.92
• ISSN on article: 0039-2480
• DOI: 10.5545/sv-jme.2025.1574
• COBISS.SI-ID: 278012675
• Publication date in RUL: 13.05.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Strojniški vestnik
• Shortened title: Stroj. vestn.
• Publisher: Zveza strojnih inženirjev in tehnikov Slovenije [etc.], = Association of Mechanical Engineers and Technicians of Slovenia [etc.
• ISSN: 0039-2480
• COBISS.SI-ID: 762116

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Geometrijske značilnosti listov Monstera deliciosa: vpliv na tribološko obnašanje in vibracije, povzročene s trenjem, pri kotalnih ležajih ob pomanjkljivem mazanju

Abstract

Za podaljšanje življenjske dobe kotalnih ležajev in izboljšanje zanesljivosti pripadajočih mehanskih sistemov je bilo po navdihu listov rastline Monstera deliciosa zasnovanih enajst biomimetičnih teksturnih vzorcev. Ti vključujejo različne geometrijske značilnosti listov, kot so listne žile, eliptične odprtine in njihove kombinacije, ki so bile z lasersko teksturiranjem površine izdelane na tekalni stezi podložke valjčnih aksialnih ležajev. Vpliv teh vzorcev, navdihnjenih z listi, na tribološke lastnosti in vibracije, povzročene s trenjem, je bil sistematično preučen v pogojih pomanjkljivega mazanja. Rezultati kažejo, da je bil v začetnih fazah preizkušanja opažen izrazit »učinek superpozicije« v vibracijskih signalih, ki pa se je s časom zmanjšal. Večja razmerja stranic eliptičnih odprtin niso izboljšala triboloških lastnosti biomimetičnih tekstur. Pri večjih eliptičnih površinah so ležaji izkazovali manjšo obrabo, vendar višje povprečne koeficiente trenja in večja nihanja vibracijskih signalov v časovni domeni. Vpliv različnih velikosti eliptičnih površin na vibracijske signale v frekvenčni domeni je bil majhen. Raziskava ponuja pomembne vpoglede za optimizacijo tekalnih površin kotalnih ležajev.

• Keywords: kotalni ležaji, biomimetična površinska tekstura, tribologija in vibracije zaradi trenja, pomanjkljivo mazanje