Development of optical interferometer incorporated film thickness controlling mechanism using induced fluorescence

In grease lubrication of rolling bearings, it is said that there are two states of full lubrication and depletion lubrication. It is said that the thickness of the EHL film becomes thick in full lubrication and the EHL film thickness becomes thin in depletion lubrication. It is said that the lubrication condition such as full lubrication and depletion lubrication is greatly influenced by the flow characteristics of grease, but its mechanism has not yet been clarified. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between the thickness of the introduced film and the EHL film thickness by quantitatively controlling the thickness of the grease by the induced fluorescence method and by measuring the EHL film thickness by the dual wavelength optical interference method. We investigated the proper concentration of the fluorescent agent mixed in the grease and developed a light interference fringe device incorporating a fluorescence intensity measuring device and a mechanism for keeping the grease film thickness constant. It is possible to control the thickness of the grease to a certain extent when comparing the film thickness of the grease from the density and the volume of the grease after measuring the thickness of the grease and the thickness of the grease measured from the fluorescence intensity It could be confirmed. Investigations were made on the relation between the introduced film thickness and the EHL film thickness and it was confirmed that the EHL film thickness did not change with the thickness of the grease film measured this time.