Compressor including laser-hardened bearing surfaces

An HAVCR system, comprising:

• a compressor;
• a condenser;
• an expander;
• and an evaporator,
• wherein the compressor comprises:
• a housing including a fixed scroll member;
• an orbiting scroll member;
• and
• a thrust bearing disposing between the housing and the orbiting scroll member on an axial direction of the orbiting scroll member,
• wherein the thrust bearing has a first thrust plate with a first wearing surface and a second thrust plate with a second wearing surface opposing the first wearing surface, and
• wherein one of the wearing surfaces has a laser hardened layer including martensitic structure opposing the other one of the wearing surfaces.

A method of manufacturing a scroll compressor with a wearing resistant thrust bearing, compressing:

• providing a housing including a stationary supporting structure with a first thrust plate and a first wearing surface of a thrust bearing;
• providing an orbiting scroll member with a second thrust plate and a second wearing surface of the thrust bearing positioned opposing the first wearing surface when the compressor is assembled;
• laser treating a one of the wearing surfaces;
• quenching the one of the wearing surfaces by a mass of the thrust plate of which the one of the wearing surfaces that is treated with laser;
• producing a laser hardened layer including martensitic structure opposing the other one of the wearing surfaces;
• tempering the thrust plate of which the one of the wearing surfaces is treated with laser;
• and
• assembling the stationary supporting structure and the orbiting scroll member so that the first wearing surface of the first thrust plate opposes the second wearing surface of the second thrust plate forming the thrust bearing between the stationary supporting structure and the orbiting scroll member of the compressor.