Keywords

Rolling Bearings, Gear Oils, Fatigue Tests, Viscosity, Lubricants

Track

Rolling Element Bearings IV (Session 4J)

Tribological Properties of Fuel Economy Gearbox Oils 

The use of low viscosity gear oils provides an opportunity to reduce splashing losses in gears and bearings. So-called fuel economy oils are such low viscosity oils which provide sufficient lubricating properties even at high operating temperatures due to the use of VI-improvers. Such lubricants of different fields of application, e.g. manual transmissions and double clutch transmissions, with different viscosities and VI-improvers were tested with respect to their tribological properties. Besides film thickness and friction measurements in model contacts, tests regarding the fatigue life and operating behaviour of several bearing types were carried out. The influence on the fatigue life was determined on a FE8 test rig. The influence on frictional torque was determined with deep groove ball bearings and tapered roller bearings. The results provide a comprehensive picture of the performance of such oils and a basis for decision whether they are suitable for series application.

Authors and Company/Institution

Norbert Bader, Eike C. Wittek and Gerhard Poll, Institute of Machine Design and Tribology, IMKT Leibniz University, Hannover, Germany