Drive engineering has to deal with a whole range of problems associated with wear. For certain types of application, wear of only a few μm is enough to impact operational capability and the life of machines and equipment. The materials from which present-day rotating drive sections are made are generally judged to have the best possible characteristics with regard to static and dynamic strength. For this reason, traditional causes of failure, which were often the result of material fatigue, are increasingly on the decline. This reduction has, however, led to an increase in wear to the surface caused by metal parts coming into contact with each other. Further causes of failure are excessively high operating temperatures or a low rotating speed, because the lubricant film that separates the contact surfaces may be breached if the drive sections do not maintain sufficient speed.
It is therefore important to improve surfaces for all parameters, and to create a topography devoid of microcracks but having a cone-shaped surface structure. An improved surface will enable significantly better emergency run properties to be achieved in the event of insufficient lubrication or unfavourable operating conditions. Under normal conditions, this leads to a greatly extended service life.