Future polyimide coatings used in high loaded bearings

Purpose - To prevent damages of machinery elements and enhancing life lubrication by using new surface engineering techniques. Design/methodology/approach - A new "wet" coating technique offers an easy and promising route to modify steel surfaces. The design of surface coatings and the results of an official bearing test are presented. Findings - Based on common bearing tests (e.g. DIN 51819), wear behaviour and tribological properties of modified surfaces are verified. Research limitations/implications - Our actual research proves an enhanced tribological behaviour in the case of improving surface properties. In contrast, to the common vapour deposition techniques the. wet" coating method seems to offer an alternative route to get surfaces with enhanced tribological properties. Practical implications - The technique of "wet" coating offers an easy route to modify steel surfaces of all kinds of bearings. Originality/value - Pre-polymer coating provides a promising future technique for surface engineering.