Effects of laser parameters on the geometrical characteristics of peg-shaped bionic coupling unit

Abstract Peg-shaped bionic coupling unit (PBCU) processed by pulse laser is effective in anti-adhesion, anti-drag, anti-wear and anti-fatigue application. To obtain desired structural and morphological characteristics of the PBCU for industrial manufacturing, selection of proper processing parameters gradually becomes a growing important problem. Traditionally, the procedure of parameter selecting is often cost-plus and time-consuming. In this work, a statistical analysis of fabricating PBCU on the surface of medium carbon steel was conducted. The laser processing parameters utilized in the experiment and analysis are peak power 4–8 kW, pulse duration 6–16 ms and defocusing amount 6–10 mm. A series of mathematical models regarding the relationship between geometrical characteristics of PBCU and laser processing parameters were developed and checked. The results indicate that the developed models can be adequately used to control the structural and morphological characteristics of PBCU within the scope of analysis. Based on the models, the formation mechanism of the structural and morphological characteristics under different laser parameters were analyzed and discussed.