Application of Ultrafast Laser Nanostructuring to Selective Laser Melting Parts

Abstract

A method is proposed for the fabrication of 3D metal (Ti6AL4V) parts that have microstructures covered with controllable nanostructures using selective laser melting (SLM) followed by laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS). The metallic parts with microstructures was first fabricated by the SLM process, then a ultrafast laser machining platform was used to locally nanostructuring of the metal parts by LIPSS process. The experimental results show that periodic-like nanostructures with two different periods, i.e. 800-900 nm on the top surface and 450-600 nm on the bottom surface of the SLM-produced microstructures, were obtained simultaneously by a picosecond laser at wavelength 1064 mu with the same laser irradiation parameters. The liquid test demonstrates that the SLM+LIPSS process provides a structuring method to generate hydrophobic-enhanced metal parts. The process can provide a variety of 3D hierarchical micro/nanostructuring on metal material for biomedical application (e.g. customized implants) which is more than a conventional SLM process can provide.