Lima, M.S.F. et al. Laser surface engineering as a tool... Journal of Aerospace Engineering, Sciences and Applications, Oct - Dec 2012, Vol. IV, No. 4 - DOI: 10.7446/jaesa.0404.09 105 LASER SURFACE ENGINEERING AS A TOOL FOR MORE EFFICIENT SATELLITE COMPONENTS Milton Sergio Fernandes de Lima Instituto de Estudos Avançados (IEAv) C.P. 6044, CEP 12228-970, São José dos Campos (SP), Brazil msflima@gmail.com Getúlio de Vasconcelos Instituto de Estudos Avançados (IEAv) C.P. 6044, CEP 12228-970, São José dos Campos (SP), Brazil getulio@ieav.cta.br Rudimar Riva Instituto de Estudos Avançados (IEAv) C.P. 6044, CEP 12228-970, São José dos Campos (SP), Brazil riva@ieav.cta.br Abstract: Laser surface engineering is a set of techniques aiming to change the surface properties of materials without changing their bulk properties. The technique is already in use in a number of productive sectors, such as mould, dies and gears makers, but almost unknown in the space industries. This contribution intends to present some ideas on how the laser surface engineering could be employed to improve some components used in aerospace industries. In particular, laser hardening, alloying and texturing will be explored since these techniques are already in development at IEAv. Keywords: laser surface engineering, surface treatments, laser. 1 Introduction Laser surface treatments could be classified in terms of intensity (I) and interaction time (tp), as can be seen in Fig. 1 (Ion, 2005). Hardened material surfaces can be obtained in both short and long pulse lengths, as shown in "Hardening" and "Shock Hardening" regions of Fig. 1, although the mechanisms are unlike. In the middle of the process diagram, Fig. 1, one could find other industrial surface modification processes, marking, engraving, cladding and melting, which operate approximately between 10 4 and 10 8 W.cm -2 . Figure 1. Laser processing chart with some more important processes