Laser Surface Engineering

Dear Colleagues,

Laser surface engineering (LSE) is a promising and effective technique to enhance the surface properties of bulk materials, such as resistance to wear, corrosion, fatigue, high temperature, bacteria, etc. It has been successfully applied across a wide range of industries in modern manufacturing, spanning from applications in aerospace and automotive to electronics and healthcare. LSE possesses the competitive advantages of being a clean (non-contact), fast, low heat input (minimal thermal deformation), highly precise, controllable and repeatable process, and, in addition, being able to retain the bulk properties of the substrate. It can be broadly classified into two classes: The first is to modify/enhance the surface properties without adding new material(s) in the surface or using reactive gases (e.g., N₂) during the LSE process, such as laser surface melting, laser texturing and laser shot peening, whilst the second is to form/deposit new surface layers that involve addition of new material(s) or reaction with reactive gases, such as laser nitriding, laser surface alloying, laser cladding and pulsed laser deposition. The common aims of the aforementioned LSM techniques are to tackle a variety of challenges faced by the industries, particularly to fulfil the tough demands encountered in complex, dynamic and/or extreme environments. With the rapid advancement of fibre laser technology in the last decade, LSE is becoming more cost-effective, efficient and easily adoptable to integrate with robotic systems in a manufacturing production line. 

For this Special Issue, we are inviting papers in the field of LSE applied to engineering materials (metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites), particularly welcoming those which involve the use of fibre laser technology, for modifying, enhancing and/or optimising the surface properties.

Topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:

• Development of novel, multifunctional coatings by LSE;
• Novel experimental setups for process monitoring, control and/or optimisation of LSE;
• LSE for enhancing the biocompatibility, bioactivity, osseointegration and/or antibacterial properties of surfaces;
• LSE for enhancing the fatigue, fretting fatigue and/or stress corrosion cracking (SCC) resistance of surfaces;
• LSE for enhancing the tribological properties of surfaces;
• LSE for enhancing the corrosion and/or oxidation resistance of surfaces;
• LSE applied as post-process/in-situ surface-treatment in additive manufacturing;
• LSE for repairing damaged, high value engineering parts.

Dr. Chi Wai Chan
Guest Editor

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