Laser cleaning is a surface preparation techinique for cleaning and removal of contaminants from various surfaces without damaging the underlying material.
The laser doesn't burn the contaminants, the process works via ablation. The laser acts like a tiny, microscopic chisel removing contaminants like rust, paint and other stains from the surface at the molecular level. When done properly, the laser isn't burning off the contaminants the underlying surface remains undamaged.
Laser cleaning is appropriate for a number of surfaces and materials. Typical materials and items include:
Automotive components - engines, transmissions, axles, etc
Body panels - hoods, trunks, floors
Tools - restoration of hand tools, vises and various other items
Outdoor decorative items - fences, outdoor ornamental items, patio furniture
Industrial applications - injection molds, tubs and vats, weld cleaning, mill scale removal
Concrete, Stone and Brick
Garage floors
Smoke damage
Grafitti removal
Interlock patios, walkways and driveways
Mildew and stain removal from stone/bricks walls and retaining walls
Wood
Paint and finish removal from various woods (Note: laser cleaning is not well suited to removal of oil or water based wood stains)
Sandblasting/Wet blasting
Since these techniques uses a granular abrasive media, carried either by air or water, in order to remove surface contaminants, it results in a significant amount of post process clean up. This often requires complete diassembly of mechanical components in order to be able to thoroughly remove the media from the component prior to putting it back into service. Additionally, the impact of the media on the surface being cleaned can create excess heat and warping in the material. This can be particularly problematic with large sheet metal surface such as vehicle hoods trunk lids etc.
Laser cleaning on the other hand, requires no consumables and therefore requires almost no cleanup. This means less time spent preparing for cleaning and less time spent putting the equipment back into service. Since there is no media impacting the surface and there is minimal heat generated and the risk of warping is eliminated.
Abrasive Removal
Very often cleaning a surface through use the use abrasives such as sanding or grinding is often very labour intensive, time consuming and risks damaging the underlying material. These methods also make in very difficult to remove contaminants from intricate surfaces.
With laser cleaning, the contaminants are removed without the risk of damaging the surface. The energy of the laser is enough to dislodge the contaminants from the surface, but cannot remove the actual material underneath. The nature of the laser also means that it is extremely efficient in cleaning intricate surfaces as it able to clean into cracks, crevices and concave surfaces of all sizes.
Chemical Removal
Chemical stripping of rust, pains and other contaminants often requires the use of various types of acids, solvents and other chemicals. This creates the challenge of protecting the surround area from these harsh chemicals also dealing with the associated smell and fumes. Depending on the item being cleaned, chemical stripping can require several applications to completely clean the item and can sometimes require further treatment to neutralize the chemical stripper. Another byproduct of chemical removal, particularly with paint strippers, is the left over mix of stripping compound and paint that must be disposed of. Usually this is considered a hazardous material and must be collected and disposed of properly.
The laser cleaning process does produce some smoke and odours, but this is easily and efficiently dealt with using simple fans and fume extraction. Since therre are no chemicals being used, there is no need to neutralize the chemical to clean the surface or any by product that needs to be removed and disposed of.