Improving mechanical strength of vacuum brazed joints via laser texturing combined with electroplating

A combined process of laser texturing and electroplating was developed to improve the shear strength of vacuum-brazed AISI 304 stainless steel (304SS) joints. Laser texturing created a mechanically interlocking interface by increasing the surface roughness, thereby improving joint adhesion. Meanwhile, an electroplating process deposited a uniform copper layer on the textured surface, mitigating filler distribution inconsistencies and ensuring more effective flow during brazing. This enhanced mechanical interlocking from laser texturing and uniform filler distribution from electroplating led to a significant improvement in joint performance, with the optimized shear strength reaching 331 MPa. These findings underscore the potential of combining surface microstructuring and electroplating for advanced vacuum brazing applications of stainless steels.