Surface texturing through riblet machining is considered a promising approach to reduce aerodynamic drag on large aeronautical components such as aircraft wings and engine blades. Within the collaborative RIBLETS project, Cailabs, Lasea and their partners develop a femtosecond laser micromachining platform targeting the production of riblets on aircraft engine blades.  Scaling riblet production to industrial dimensions raises several technical challenges, including achievable processing speed, geometrical accuracy of micrometric features, and the capability to process non-planar, curved surfaces. To address these constraints, a system combining advanced beam shaping and beam splitting, has been integrated into a single industrial machine.

We present the development of the first module based on Multi‑Plane Light Conversion (MPLC) technology in a free‑space configuration, combining top‑hat beam shaping and multi‑beam splitting with controlled homogeneity at high average power (up to 120 W).

This configuration enables the simultaneous generation of 15 parallel spots, producing riblet structures with feature sizes down to 20 µm. The system also allows dynamic rotation of both the patterned beam and the 15‑spot line to adapt to complex geometries. Experimental results obtained at both low and high power are presented, together with the associated benefits.

These results demonstrate the relevance of MPLC-based beam shaping and splitting for high-throughput femtosecond laser micro processing of functional surface textures.