GreenBearings – Friction Behaviour of DLC-Coated Dry Running Deep Groove Ball Bearings

Due to the use of rolling bearings instead of plain bearings friction and wear are drastically reduced in all kind of machines. However, despite the high technical standard of modern rolling bearings there is still a significant potential for optimization. Preliminary Studies show a reduction of the friction torque of up to 44 % compared to conventional rolling bearings because of the use of tribological coatings in certain applications. Based on the millionfold usage of rolling bearings in all industrial fields the reduced lost energy adds up to a remarkable potential for energy savings. If friction and wear are lowered sufficiently, the use of conventional lubricants based on mineral oil can be successively decreased or even completely avoided. In the latter case, the socalled dry running of the rolling bearing, the energy consumption of machines and systems can additionally be reduced significantly. For example, pumping stations or compressed air units, which would be necessary for transporting or spraying the lubricants, can then be saved.This paper presents first results of DLC-coated deep groove ball bearings, which are tested in a four-bearing-test-rig under purely radial load with respect to their friction and wear behaviour.