The load on drive elements under extreme pressure conditions is significantly larger than that used in machine tools. When operating under a heavy load for a long period, large deformation and severe wear between the ball and the track are more likely to occur. To reduce wear, the most fundamental solution is to improve the surface properties of the material. Moreover, heat treatment is the most effective method to improve the surface properties of materials, thereby achieving wear resistance and low friction. It is necessary to develop a new heat treatment technology for wear resistance in extreme pressure conditions. Therefore, this study conducted experiments using a reciprocating friction tester. The responses of electrical contact resistance and the friction coefficient were measured synchronously to investigate wear resistance and low friction of the alloy steels after the induction heat treatment. Then, the results were compared and verified with low-carbon alloy steel after the traditional carburizing heat treatment. The experimental results show that the application of new induction heat treatment technology can not only improve the performance of drive components, but also save time and energy, and streamline the production process of the drive components. Therefore, the results of these wear analyses confirm that the induction heat treatment mode can replace the traditional carburizing heat treatment mode for drive elements.
Keywords: drive elements; induction hardening; synchronous response; wear.