Combined effect of texturing and boundary slippage in lubricated sliding contacts

• A new modified Reynolds theory for modeling lubrication with slippage is developed.
• A novel approach to improve the hydrodynamic performance in MEMS is proposed.
• Beneficial effects by combined textured/slippage pattern are investigated.
• Optimum texture parameters as well as slip parameters are identified.

High level of friction limits the reliability of lubricated micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) devices. The current paper explores the possibility of employing slippage combined with a textured surface in MEMS in order to improve performance characteristics. A modified Reynolds equation based on the limiting shear stress model is developed. It is confirmed that compared to an untextured surface as well as a solely textured surface, the textured surface employing a slippage has a much lower coefficient of friction, which is not affected by the texture cell aspect ratio. The results indicate that the combined textured/slippage pattern has a beneficial effect by increasing the load capacity and decreasing the friction.

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