Numerous factors promote friction between surfaces. But what if the force of attraction is strong enough to cause seizing, material breakage during motion? Next time follow these good practices in your design.

Speed, force, displacement, and frequency — all play a role in friction between metals or plastics. But when their contact is so intimate that the environment is not a factor, there is heat. And higher temperatures give rise to chemical bonding, mechanical creep or surface deformation.

Is there a single answer to reducing adhesive forces during motion? That is unlikely. Harder surfaces mean higher adhesion energy. Polymers with lower surface energy are soft.

So, here are a few tips:

Your substrate should be dissimilar, incompatible, insoluble with one another.
Mechanically, the interface should be either softer or more brittle, a lower cohesive energy than either parent material. This allows proper separation during motion.

Oxides, with their higher melting points, rubbing against low surface energy polymers, may be ideal. Consider composite coatings, co-deposited finishes, or low shear strength lubricants and thin film ceramics.

Whatever your material choice, do not disregard structure. Avoid deformation. And always remember surface roughness. It is both measurable and a key to reliable motion.