Scalable Robotic Laser Texturing of Tilted Microanchors for Direction-Independent Metal–Polymer Joining

초록

As the mobility sector advances toward battery-powered transportation, the demand for lightweight structural components with high mechanical integrity continues to grow. Metal–polymer hybrid structures offer a promising solution; however, direct joining between dissimilar materials often results in weak interfacial anchoring, necessitating additional fasteners or adhesives. This study presents a robot-assisted laser texturing technique for fabricating high-aspect-ratio, surface-tilted, recast-based microstructures that enhance the strength of metal–polymer joints. A six-axis robotic system enables precise control of the laser incidence angle, interline pitch, and scanning path, promoting recast layer overlap while minimizing thermal distortion through an anomalous scanning strategy. The method supports scalable fabrication of various microstructural patterns, including groove, circular, and wobble geometries. Tensile tests demonstrate strength improvements of up to 13.41× for groove structures and 14.11× for wobble structures, the latter providing direction-independent interlocking. These results highlight the potential of this approach for robust, adhesive-free integration of metal–polymer hybrids in lightweight mobility applications. © 2025 The Author(s). Advanced Engineering Materials published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.

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