Leaf Geometric Characteristics of Monstera deliciosa: Effects on Tribological and Friction-induced Vibration Behaviors of Rolling Bearings under Starved Lubrication

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.