A Way To Increase the Service Life of Imported Piston Seals During the Period of Sanctions

The issue of repairing and subsequent operation of imported piston compressors that run without lubrication is examined. At present, foreign manufacturing companies have ceased to provide servicing, major repairs, and supply of spare parts, tools, and accessories. Since it is quite challenging, and often practically impossible, to find a domestic equivalent for foreign materials or their production technology, components produced by repair and mechanical plants operate ten times less effectively and reduce the quality indicators of technological equipment. The current study is conducted to determine a method for increasing the lifespan of foreign products used in piston compressors operating without lubrication, focusing on the sleeve–piston-ring friction pair. It is proposed to replace the steel sleeve with a sleeve made of antifriction self-lubricating material, the hardness of which is lower than that of the material from which the piston ring is made. To test this hypothesis, experimental samples are manufactured from the following materials: AFGM, F4, F4K15M5, polyamide 6, and steel 45. The results of the tests confirm the feasibility of increasing the lifespan of the friction pair using the proposed method.