Enhancing Surface Textures and Tribological Properties of GCr15 Bearing Materials through Laser Peen Texturing

This study explores the feasibility of employing laser peen texturing to fabricate surface textures on GCr15 bearing steel and evaluates its influence on the material’s mechanical and tribological properties. GCr15 samples were treated using various laser parameters, and the resulting mechanical and tribological properties were analyzed through X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), microhardness testing, X-ray residual strain analysis (LXRD). The results demonstrated that the depth of micro-dimples increased with rising laser energy, pulse width, and impact times. At 12 J single impact, dimple depth reached 38.39 µm, while double impacts at the same energy produced deeper dimples of up to 49.05 µm. A gradient energy strategy (6 J followed by 12 J) further increased dimple depth to 58.61 µm. Microhardness tests indicated that dimple hardness increased with both laser energy and impact times, though it showed a nonlinear relationship with pulse width. Tribological testing revealed a notable improvement in wear resistance, low friction coefficient, with tiny wear scar widths. The wear rate was reduced by 17–21%, as abrasive wear was the dominant wear mechanism with minor oxidative wear present. Overall, laser peen texturing significantly enhanced surface integrity by generating precise micro-dimples, increasing surface hardness, and improving tribological behavior. These results offer valuable theoretical and practical guidance for applying laser peen texturing to improve the performance of bearing steel in advanced engineering and manufacturing applications.