Laser micro/nano remelting and redistribution for surface quality improvement and functionalization

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Surface finish is one of the most important quality characteristics of fabricated components. It becomes even more critical with introduction of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies for producing functional parts and components with complex free-form geometries. However, current AM processes result in poor surface roughness (typically from 5 to 15 um Sa), stair-step structured surfaces, droplets, adverse residual stresses, and low dimensional precision and accuracy. Therefore, AMed components critically require finishing operation to meet required surface characteristics. Still, the manual polishing requires advanced technical skills and is performed at slow processing rates resulting in high production costs. Finishing by milling always produces scallops, ridges, and valleys and exhibits a degree of form error, waviness and surface roughness.***Laser polishing (LP) is one of the advanced manufacturing surface finishing techniques that has been recently developed and successfully employed for improving surface quality without deteriorating the overall structural form through surface smoothing by melting and redistributing a thin layer of molten material. Our team was able to achieve 72 nm Sa from original 1.2 um Sa. LP opens new avenues in cost effective manufacturing of value-added parts, components and tooling significantly reducing overall tooling cost (up to 40%) and manufacturing time (up to 30%).*** The main objective of the proposed research program is to advance further fundamental knowledge, thorough understanding, and engineering foundations of the LP technology while focusing novelty on improving surface quality of AMed parts and their surface functionalization. The emphasis will be on studies how micro/nano-scale surface features enabling new and/or enhancing existing surface functionalities can be produced by laser material remelting and redistribution. This will require understanding and development of engineering/scientific fundamentals, process planning and optimization, where thermodynamic processes in the laser-material interaction zone will be studied as a micro/nano-scale. Three research topics will be investigated: a) thermodynamic modelling and experimental verification of the micro/nano remelting and redistribution process, b) process modelling, practical implementation and experimental verification of the functional surface geometry formation, and c) process parameter optimization, system identification and process planning to achieve reproducible surfaces with desired quality/functionality.*** Undertaking this synergetic groundbreaking research will pursue new scientific and technological ideas with expected influential significance in the development of an original and strategic technology that will enhance competitive advantage of Canadian companies through the development of innovative, knowledge-based, cost-efficient advanced manufacturing technologies for fabrication of the high-value components and products.