Determining the tribological behavior of 316L stainless steel with lubricating micro-channels produced by the selective laser melting (SLM) method

Purpose This study aims to produce lubricating surfaces with micro-channels by the selective laser melting (SLM) method, and to investigate their tribological behavior. Design/methodology/approach In this study, three kinds of samples with different geometries were designed, impregnated with oil and then subjected to flow analysis in a virtual environment using Ansys Fluent software. According to the results of these analyses, the best-lubricated surface geometry sample was identified, and a number of geometries were produced by SLM, which is one of the additive manufacturing methods. Tribological tests were performed using a pin-on-disk tribometer with a stainless steel ball as the contact surface. The structural and morphological features were investigated by a three-dimensional profilometer and scanning electron microscopy. Findings The results obtained showed that the impregnated oil reached the surface of the sample compared to untreated samples, and it was seen that the wear rates were reduced, and that the impregnated oil samples exhibited the highest wear resistance. Originality/value In this study, solid geometries that are difficult to be produced by other methods are produced with additive manufacturing method, and the surfaces have been given lubricating properties.