High-Rate Laser Surface Texturing for Advanced Tribological Functionality

Abstract

This article features with the enhancement of the static coefficient of friction by laser texturing the contact surfaces of tribological systems tested under dry friction conditions. The high-rate laser technology was applied for surface texturing at unprecedented processing rates, namely using powerful ultrashort pulses lasers in combination with ultrafast polygon-mirror based scan systems. The laser textured surfaces were analyzed by ion beam slope cutting and Raman measurements, showing a crystallographic disordering of the produced microscopic surface features. The laser induced self-organizing periodic surface structures as well as deterministic surface textures were tested regarding their tribological behavior. The highest static coefficient of friction was found of µ20 = 0.68 for a laser textured cross pattern that is 126% higher than for a fine grinded reference contact system. The line pattern was textured on a shaft-hub connection where the static coefficient of friction increased up to 75% that demonstrates the high potential of the technology for real-world applications.

Review on Experimental and Theoretical Investigations of Ultra-Short Pulsed Laser Ablation of Metals with Burst Pulses

“…These effects could eventually be caused by the smoothing effect and the reduction in the surface structures as shown in Figures 13-15. The situation may change when higher repetition rates are used for single pulses, e.g., by using polygon line scanners, which can now achieve marking speeds of several 100 m/s [200,201]. However, the scale-up process is limited either by heat accumulation, especially for steel, and/or shielding effects discussed in the double pulse section, as shown in [202].…”

Quo Vadis LIPSS?—Recent and Future Trends on Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures

“…Employing up-to-date laser and beam scanning technology, the LIPSS processing approach and the DLIP technique both can fulfill current industrial demands by processing patterns at processing rates approaching the m 2 /min level [ 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 ] Both surface patterning methods strongly depend on the coherence of the laser radiation used. The constraints, however, are somewhat different: while the contrast of the interference pattern generated in the DLIP pixel relies on global coherence (spatial and temporal), in LIPSS processing, only a local coherence of the beam is required, coupling the laser radiation to the material via scattering/interference at microscopic surface defects (roughness, absorption centers, etc.).…”

Laser Superficial Fusion of Gold Nanoparticles with PEEK Polymer for Cardiovascular Application

“…To assess the laser beam absorbance of the PEEK material in order to choose the best laser treatment parameters, taking into account final application properties, the experiment of laser power to groove depth correlation was carried out. Based on the current state-of-the-art results [ 2 , 33 , 34 ] one can state that for cardiovascular purposes, the depth of textured patterns should not exceed 5 µm. The following condition is motivated by the delicacy of the blood system implants’ geometry and the need to avoid thrombus formation.…”

“…Gold being highly biocompatible does not tend to cause any side effect of being released inside the body [ 23 , 24 ]. The process carried out to produce biomimetic patterns on the surface has also been reported in the literature and in numerous studies to be positive for body response and mechanical properties, the analysis of which will be included in future studies [ 3 , 5 , 34 ].…”