Imagine using a high-tech laser like a microscopic 3D printer to carve precise patterns into metal. Instead of using harsh chemicals or grinding tools to change how a surface behaves, this system uses light to create textures at different scales. It's like adding a custom 'skin' to a part that can make it repel water, cool down faster, or bond better with bone.
Current surface treatments rely on expensive, wasteful chemical and mechanical processes that are difficult to apply to complex 3D shapes and slow to iterate in design.
A TRL6 modular laser machine platform with 7-axis control and a Design for Surface Engineering software module with embedded LCA.
If you are an implant manufacturer dealing with poor integration of hip joints in patients — this project developed a hierarchical laser texturing process that creates multifunctional surfaces to improve the hip implant system's performance.
If you are a cooling company dealing with inefficient heat dissipation in vapor chambers — this project developed a laser-textured copper surface that can improve cooling efficiency by up to 48% compared to sintered wicks.
If you are a tool maker dealing with expensive and wasteful chemical surface treatments — this project developed a digital laser texturing machine that replaces multiple resource-intensive steps with a single, waste-free process for injection moulding tools.
The project includes a Design for Surface Engineering software module that aims to reduce the time and cost of developing functional surface designs by at least 50% compared to typical cycles.
The project is developing a TRL6 modular machine platform with a 300x300 mm processing stage and 7-axis control to handle complex 3D geometries.
Based on available project data, specific licensing terms are not listed, but the project is coordinated by Fraunhofer, a major research organization typically involved in technology transfer.
It replaces multiple chemical and mechanical treatment steps with a single, digitally controlled, chemical- and waste-free process.
The project period runs from 2022-12-01 to 2026-01-31, suggesting the TRL6 platform will be fully validated by early 2026.
The consortium is highly industry-weighted with 14 partners, featuring a 50% industry ratio (7 companies, including 6 SMEs). This strong commercial presence, combined with 5 research organizations and 1 university across 8 countries, indicates a high potential for immediate market application and practical validation of the TRL6 platform.
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