• • Optimal texture area fraction of 15–20% reduces friction coefficient by ~50% and wear rate by 60% versus untextured GCr15 steel, directly extending cam-tappet service life in internal combustion engines.
• • Oil film pressure increases by 20% at 15–20% area fraction compared to 9.75% area fraction, confirming enhanced hydrodynamic lift that mitigates asperity contact under 1.038 GPa contact stress.
• • Excessive texture area fraction (>20%) elevates contact stress and wear, while insufficient area fraction (<15%) fails to generate adequate hydrodynamic pressure, establishing a narrow process window for industrial laser texturing.
• • Fluent simulations and ball-on-disk experiments under 10 N, 150 r/min, and oil lubrication show consistent trends, validating the predictive capability of CFD for texture design in cam-tappet tribology.