Biomimetic laser surface texturing of AISI 316LVM: influence of process parameters on surface topography

Abstract In this study, biomimetic spiral surface structures inspired by seashells were fabricated on AISI 316LVM stainless steel using a laser surface texturing process. The effects of process parameters on surface topography were investigated. A 50 W fiber laser system was used in the texturing process of AISI 316LVM stainless steel with scanning speeds of 400–1,200 mm s −1 , laser frequencies of 50–100 kHz, and spiral pitches of 0.4–0.6 mm. The arithmetic mean height Sa, developed interfacial area ratio Sdr, and kurtosis of the surface height distribution Sku were evaluated. Scanning speed was revealed to be the dominant factor affecting Sa. Sa decreased as scanning speed increased. Increasing the laser frequency led to greater pulse overlap, resulting in more homogeneous surfaces. However, increasing the spiral pitch resulted in more distinct topographies and a higher Sdr. The developed regression models for Sa and Sdr showed strong agreement with the experimental data, although the predictive capability for Sku was comparatively limited. This study exhibits the applicability of laser-based biomimetic surface texturing on AISI 316LVM, providing important findings regarding parameter-surface relationships.