A Comparison of the Tactile Friction and Cutting Performance of Textured Scalpel Blades Modified by Direct Laser Writing and Direct Laser Interference Patterning Processes

Moving surface interactions between rigid and compliant materials have a wide range of functional applications in the automotive, aerospace and medical industries. This study investigates the cutting and frictional performance of textured stainless steel scalpel blades using polyurethane as the counterpart material. Groove textures of controlled geometries, oriented parallel and tangential to the primary cutting edge were produced using DLW and DLIP processes. Empirical investigations were conducted to study the influences of groove width, depth, separation distance and orientation on the performance of the textured blades under dry conditions.