Hybrid processing of bearing steel by combining Direct Laser Interference Patterning and laser hardening for wear resistance applications

In this study, a hybrid process for increasing the hardness and thus resistance of laser-generated surface textures by a laser heat treatment for functional surfaces is proposed. The process chain involves the fabrication of well-defined periodic surface features on bearing steel using Direct Laser Interference Patterning in conjunction with a laser-hardening process. The fabricated laser hardened layer exhibits a laser feed rate dependent thickness between 500 and 800 mu m which additionally enhances the hardness of the patterned surface from 210 to 827 HV 0.1. The increased surface hardness directly translates into a significantly improved wear-resistance of the surface patterns, which exhibit up to similar to 200% of that of non-hardened patterns. The proposed hybrid laser texturing-hardening approach allows the generation of wear-resistant and at the same time intact surface patterns for harsh environmentssuch in tribological applications.

Automated summary

In this study, a hybrid process was proposed to increase the hardness and wear resistance of laser-generated surface textures through a laser heat treatment. The process involved Direct Laser Interference Patterning to create well-defined periodic surface features on bearing steel, followed by a laser-hardening process. The hybrid approach resulted in significantly improved wear resistance of the surface patterns in harsh environments.