Laser structuring of metal surfaces: Micro-mechanical interlocking

Efficient micro-mechanical interlocking may be achieved on appropriately laser-structured surfaces. In this paper, we discuss the issues relevant for the laser-machining process, including the precision and the material removal rate. We investigate the surface morphology of stainless steel after irradiation by nanosecond laser pulses at different pulse energies and irradiation strategies. At the optimum operation parameters, we demonstrate that a high-average-power nanosecond laser provides a reasonable compromise between precision and production time.