Finite Element Prediction of Laser-Material Interaction using COMSOL Multiphysics®

Surface engineering is a key technology used in a wide range of sectors in industry. Among other techniques, it involves adding functionality to a surface. The objective of the work presented in this paper is to build an application using COMSOL Multiphysics® to predict the topography produced given the set of laser parameters as well as the material properties of the sample to be textured.

The application of the model is twofold. First, the influence of the laser parameters such as power, frequency and impact duration on the final topography is assessed. Then, an application is created using the Application Builder so the surface topography prediction can be integrated in a laser machine, enabling the future user to predict the topography of one laser impact on its sample, using COMSOL Server™. The topography is further used in the machine to predict the surface functionality of the sample (wettability, friction coefficient etc.).