The wear resistance of friction units with a polymer coating and a special groove in their supporting structure is increased by minimizing the heating of the contact zone of the rubbing surfaces through effective heat removal due to the presence of a transverse recess (groove). In addition, this design helps to minimize the dry friction process, since it directly affects the distribution of the lubricating fluid. Increased loads of friction units entail characteristic changes in the properties of lubricants. In our opinion, taking into account the viscosity indicators, depending on temperature and pressure, will allow us to more accurately characterize the operation of the structure in various friction modes. The effect of a modified friction unit design (with a polymer coating and a groove) on improving performance in general is described. In addition, comparing the standard and modified designs, it can be noted that the load capacity has significantly increased and the friction coefficient has decreased. At the same time, the service life and the overhaul period of the friction unit have increased, which is a significant effect for the mechanical engineering industry.

Keywords: friction unit, index, friction coefficient, polymer coating, load, tribocoupling