Examination of the Causes for Premature Failure of Mating Surfaces in Smart Injector Actuators

Fuel injector actuators in diesel engines are vital and widely used parts, particularly in hydraulics and fuel injection systems. They largely influence the technical, economic, and environmental quality of an engine. Therefore, it is of utmost importance for actuators to be highly reliable during their service life. Actuator reliability is a distinct feature of their mating surface performance. Due to complex operational conditions, increased surface stress, friction, and environmental impact, mating surfaces are exposed to various types of surface damage, wear, erosion, cavitations, and fatigue. Depending on the quality of production and the conditions they are used in, these damages are often generated much earlier than predicted, which is reflected in the reduction of the actuators' expected life span and reliability. In addition to the above, generated damage triggers the occurrence of other problems with fuel injection systems in diesel engines, resulting in increased fuel consumption and incomplete combustion, together with increased exhaust gas emission. The research conducted here analyzes the working performance of fuel injector actuators in diesel engines in heavy duty vehicles. The research is focused on inspecting the causes that lead to premature damage of mating surfaces.