Laser Cleaning Machines are More and More Widely Used in Industrial Applications

1. Surface polishing and derusting in steel manufacturing

Laser cleaning is also an effective and efficient method for removing rust and oxide layers from the surface of metal materials. Rust and oxide layers are contaminants that form on metal surfaces due to natural or artificial processes. When metals are exposed to moisture, they react with water to form ferrous oxide, which rusts

On the other hand, due to the heat treatment process, an oxide layer forms on the metal surface, which discolors the metal surface and hinders subsequent finishing operations.

The laser must be fired in short pulses to avoid damage to the base metal. The rust rapidly absorbs the energy of the laser beam, causing the temperature to rise. Once the temperature is high enough, the rust will melt and eventually evaporate.

Pulsed fiber lasers are preferred as they offer greater control over power, wavelength and pulse duration, allowing the rust/oxide layer to evaporate without causing any damage to the substrate material.

2 Clean the anode assembly

The aluminium smelting industry uses carbon blocks as "sacrificial" anodes in primary aluminium production. The quality of the anode has an impact on the environmental, economic and technical aspects of aluminium production. A small fraction of the cell power is used to overcome the resistance of the prebaked anode.

The presence of dirt and other contaminants increases the resistance of the anode, which leads to more battery power consumption. The presence of contaminants also shortens the life of the anode by increasing the rate at which it is consumed during the smelting process. From an efficiency standpoint, it is necessary to clean and remove all contaminants from the surface of the anode assembly prior to use in aluminum smelting operations.

Furthermore, anode assemblies are valuable tools that can be reused, but their major components must be thoroughly and carefully handled under specific conditions.

3. Pretreatment for brazing and welding

In shipbuilding, precision toolmaking, automotive and other related industries, aluminum and steel surfaces must be prepared before they can be welded.

Laser welding preparation is one of the many applications of laser cleaning to help remove ferrous and non-ferrous metals, lubricants, and other contaminants from metal and aluminum surfaces in preparation for high-quality welding. It also ensures smooth and non-porous brazing seams.

In addition to welding and brazing preparation, lasers can be used to remove welding residues such as residual flux and oxide materials, as well as heat stains on finished welded joints.

4. Topical removal of coating

Laser cleaning is particularly effective in applications that require partial removal of paint or coatings from surfaces. It can be used on almost all surface types, whether chemically anodized, oxidized or organic. Laser cleaning removes coatings and paints while maintaining the integrity of substrate materials in the automotive and aerospace industries.

For coating removal applications, fiber lasers are the first choice. They overcome some of the inherent challenges faced in topical decoating applications in the past by precisely removing the coating in a specified area.

5. Selective paint removal

Selective paint removal is one of the many applications of laser cleaning. In the automotive and aerospace industries, it is sometimes necessary to remove the top layer of paint while protecting the primer. Typically, the top weathered coating on a vehicle needs to be completely removed before new paint is applied.

Since the physical and chemical properties of the top layer of paint are different from the primer, the power and frequency of the laser can be set to remove only the top layer of paint.