Performance of plain bearings with circumferential microgrooves

Higher performance of recent automotive engines requires their bearings to operate under more severe conditions like higher speeds, higher loads and higher temperatures. To meet this requirement, plain bearings with circumferential microgrooves have been developed. Experimental evaluation as well as theoretical analysis has revealed that the ease of initial wear and deformation at the ridges leads to superior conformability, increased oil flow along the microgrooves achieves lower bearing temperature, and the oil retained in the microgrooves prevents seizure under starved lubricating conditions.