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Surface Topography Measurement Analysis of Additively Manufactured Modern Materials and...
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Surface Topography Measurement Analysis of Additively Manufactured Modern Materials and Coatings

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Surface Characterization, Deposition and Modification".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 November 2026 | Viewed by 5934

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Przemysław Podulka

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Manufacturing Process and Production Engineering, The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, Rzeszow University of Technology, Powstancow Warszawy 8 Street, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland
Interests: surface topography; roughness; measurement noise; additive manufacturing; machining; modern manufacturing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Topography plays a significant role in many studies considering surface quantities. Today, its measurement decreases the time of data collection during the measuring process. This is due to reducing costs when controlling industrial applications’ surface finishing procedure. Therefore, contactless instruments with fast measuring systems are welcomed instead of stylus solutions. Unfortunately, non-contact methods can be fraught with many external disturbances, which can significantly reduce accuracy when describing surface topography. Therefore, reducing the errors in the measurement process places great demands on topography when considering general measurement principles.

Recent advantages in material production include additive manufacturing. This popular producing method requires the user's knowledge of how to measure its quantities. Surface topography measurements of those components can be complex and increase the possibility of errors during measurement. Even highly precise measuring instruments may not allow for the collection of accurate results when some measurement disturbances are not studied. Many of the recent studies contain sophisticated procedures and approaches that cannot be easily implemented by a regular user.

This Special Issue, titled ‘Surface topography measurement analysis of additively manufactured modern materials and coatings’, aims to collect novel high-quality results. It welcomes the submission of studies on the surface topography of many modern materials, including additively manufactured ones. Moreover, widely reviewed results that focus on the various surface properties of differently manufactured elements are also welcome, along with simulation, modeling, and experimental methods.

Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Recent developments in surface topography measuring systems.
  • Presentation of advanced methods and sophisticated approaches for surface topography evaluation.
  • Theoretical and experimental research, knowledge, and new ideas in terms of the measurement accuracy of surface quantities.
  • Current advances in measurement uncertainty studies.
  • Characterization of different materials due to their surface topographies.
  • Measurement and study of the roughness parameters in accordance with functional surface performance requirements.
  • Understanding surface nature with an evaluation of surface topography.
  • Analysis of surface quantities due to a detailed evaluation of its topography.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Przemysław Podulka
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • surface metrology
  • roughness measurement
  • surface topography characterization
  • functional materials
  • measurement noise
  • measurement uncertainty
  • manufacturing metrology
  • machined surfaces
  • additive manufacturing

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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21 pages, 4628 KB  
Article
Effect of Inclined Angles and Contouring Parameters on Upskin Surface Characteristics of Parts Made by Laser Powder-Bed Fusion
by Nismath Valiyakath Vadakkan Habeeb and Kevin Chou
Coatings 2026, 16(1), 119; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16010119 - 16 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 682
Abstract
Surface finish plays a critical role in the tribological performance of additively manufactured engineering components. In exploring part characteristics in laser powder-bed fusion (L-PBF), this study investigates the effect of contouring strategies on the upskin surface of inclined specimens (30°, 45°, and 60°) [...] Read more.
Surface finish plays a critical role in the tribological performance of additively manufactured engineering components. In exploring part characteristics in laser powder-bed fusion (L-PBF), this study investigates the effect of contouring strategies on the upskin surface of inclined specimens (30°, 45°, and 60°) made with L-PBF, using post- and pre-contouring strategies with various levels of process parameters. The surface data of fabricated inclined specimens were acquired by white-light interferometry, followed by a quantitative analysis using surface images. The results show that post-contouring leads to better surface finishes, with the lowest Sa of 8.68 µm attained at the highest laser power (195 W) and the slowest scan speed (500 mm/s) on 30°-inclined specimens, likely due to increased remelting and less step-edges. In contrast, pre-contouring produces distinct surface textures on the upskin of L-PBF specimens, resulting in a rougher surface morphology, with a maximum Sa of 33.39 µm also from 30°-inclined specimens at the lowest power (100 W) and the highest speed (2000 mm/s), suggesting an insufficient remelting of surface defects. In comparative analysis, in general, post-contouring yields smoother upskin surfaces, with a 17%–30% reduction in Sa, than those from equivalent pre-contouring conditions, highlighting the potential of scan sequences for optimizing L-PBF to improve the surface finish of inclined structures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Topography Measurement Analysis of Additively Manufactured Modern Materials and Coatings)
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19 pages, 4531 KB  
Article
Surface Engineering of EB-PBF Ti6Al4V via Anodization: Multifunctional Improvements Through TiO2 Nanotube Arrays
by Alireza Moradi, Sanae Tajalli, Amir Behjat, Abdollah Saboori and Luca Iuliano
Coatings 2025, 15(9), 993; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15090993 - 27 Aug 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1401
Abstract
This study investigates the anodization behavior and surface modification of Ti6Al4V (Ti64) alloy components fabricated via electron beam powder bed fusion (EB-PBF), aiming to enhance their performance in biomedical applications. Ti64 samples were manufactured using optimized EB-PBF parameters to produce a uniform microstructure [...] Read more.
This study investigates the anodization behavior and surface modification of Ti6Al4V (Ti64) alloy components fabricated via electron beam powder bed fusion (EB-PBF), aiming to enhance their performance in biomedical applications. Ti64 samples were manufactured using optimized EB-PBF parameters to produce a uniform microstructure and surface quality. Electrochemical anodization at 40 V and 60 V for 2 h generated self-organized TiO2 nanotube layers, followed by a heat treatment at 550 °C to improve crystallinity while preserving the nanotube morphology. Characterization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that a lower voltage produced uniform, compact nanotubes with moderate roughness and higher hardness, whereas a higher voltage generated thicker, less ordered nanotubes with larger diameters, increased roughness, and slightly reduced mechanical performance. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the presence of anatase TiO2 phases, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis revealed a homogeneous distribution of Ti and O. Mechanical testing via nanoindentation and nanoscratch techniques demonstrated superior hardness and adhesion in nanotubes formed at lower voltage due to their compact structure. Electrochemical measurements indicated significantly enhanced corrosion resistance in anodized samples, attributed to the dense and chemically stable TiO2 layer that acts as a barrier to aggressive ions and reduces active corrosion sites. In vitro bioactivity analysis further confirmed improved apatite formation on anodized surfaces. These results demonstrate the synergistic potential of EB-PBF and controlled anodization for modifying the surface properties of Ti64 implants, leading to improved mechanical behavior, corrosion resistance, and biological performance suitable for biomedical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Topography Measurement Analysis of Additively Manufactured Modern Materials and Coatings)
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17 pages, 3352 KB  
Article
Research on the Geometry Control and Microwave Absorption Performance of Auxetic Materials
by Yifei Wang, Zhuo Cai, Fuqiang Liu, Xinyu Wang, Dandan Li, Yifei Ma, Zhaomin Tong, Mei Wang, Jonghwan Suhr, Liantuan Xiao, Suotang Jia and Xuyuan Chen
Coatings 2025, 15(6), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15060689 - 7 Jun 2025
Viewed by 1421
Abstract
There is great potential for the development of microwave-absorbing materials (MAMs) for structural regulation. Auxetic structures have excellent mechanical properties, which can be applied to multifunctional MAMs in various fields. Here, the microwave absorption performances of the auxetic structures were simulated using the [...] Read more.
There is great potential for the development of microwave-absorbing materials (MAMs) for structural regulation. Auxetic structures have excellent mechanical properties, which can be applied to multifunctional MAMs in various fields. Here, the microwave absorption performances of the auxetic structures were simulated using the High-Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS), by regulating the structure, dielectric constant, layer number, and pore size. The simulation results show that increasing the dielectric constant, layer number, or decreasing pore size will lead to a decrease in the frequency of minimum reflection loss (RLmin). The main purpose of this study is to elucidate the influence of structure, dielectric constant, layer number, and pore size on the absorption performance of auxetic structures and obtain practical auxetic MAMs with a performance of RLmin < −30 dB and effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) > 3 GHz. Finally, practical auxetic MAMs between 8 and 18 GHz and MAMs optimized in dielectric constant were obtained, which were proven to have the advantages of lightweight characteristics, high absorption, and wide bandwidth. The four structures exhibit great RLmin values of −51.09, −55.52, −47.09, and −54.98 dB with wide EAB values of 3.25, 3, 4.75, and 4.5 GHz, demonstrating the strong electromagnetic wave absorption performance of auxetic structures. This work provides theoretical guidance for the study of auxetic structures in the field of microwave absorption and provides an effective approach for multi-disciplinary research on MAMs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Topography Measurement Analysis of Additively Manufactured Modern Materials and Coatings)
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17 pages, 7884 KB  
Article
The Effect of USRP-Composite DLC Coating on Bearing Fatigue Life
by Longtai Chen, Yanshuang Wang, Shuhui Xu, Mingyu Zhang and Guanghui Zheng
Coatings 2025, 15(5), 616; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15050616 - 21 May 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1882
Abstract
Based on rolling contact fatigue life experiments, this study systematically investigates the effect of ultrasonic surface rolling processing (USRP) with a composite diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating on the rolling contact fatigue life of bearings through characterization and analysis. The results show that the [...] Read more.
Based on rolling contact fatigue life experiments, this study systematically investigates the effect of ultrasonic surface rolling processing (USRP) with a composite diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating on the rolling contact fatigue life of bearings through characterization and analysis. The results show that the USRP-composite DLC coating forms a synergistic mechanism between the coating and the substrate on the surface of specimens: the DLC coating resists surface wear with its high hardness and low friction coefficient, while USRP reduces substrate deformation and crack growth by decreasing surface roughness, increasing substrate hardness, and introducing residual compressive stress. Additionally, USRP enhances the adhesion between the coating and the substrate. The average wear volume of the USRP-composite DLC-coated specimens is 3.73 × 1011 μm3, which is 30.95% lower than that of USRP-treated specimens and 85.38% lower than that of untreated specimens. The average fatigue life of the USRP-composite DLC-coated specimens is 6.55 × 106 cycles, which is 94.94% higher than that of USRP-treated specimens and 208.24% higher than that of untreated specimens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Topography Measurement Analysis of Additively Manufactured Modern Materials and Coatings)
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