Laser Cleaning

Efficiency of laser cleaning with use of vario-head VF is based on combined action of continuous laser stream and pulse stream. The continuous laser stream ensures thermal destructuring of polymeric links and the pulse stream easily removes the coating with damaged structure. Estimate calculation on the basis experimentally obtained data demonstrate that commercial lasers (continuous laser of about 5 kW and pulse laser of 100–200 W) ensure cleaning efficiency of approximately 20 m²/h. This is accompanied by «passivation» effect, i.e. the surface after laser cleaning does not degrade and corrode and is suitable for painting within several weeks (as compared to several hours after sand blasting).<

It is important to note one more positive effect: after such cleaning process the surface is well activated, the metal surface is fine-structured and matted and does not have any hard-to-remove dirt. New paint can easily be applied on such a surface with high adhesion without any preparation.

This technology can be used in the following industries, both as a stationary equipment and as a mobile cleaning system:

• railway industry, for cleaning of carriages and moving parts and for railway structures, such as bridges and other structures
• machine-building — for cleaning of any metal items prior to painting and welding
• turbine construction — for cleaning surface of various blades to remove operational hard-to-remove carbon deposits
• aircraft engineering and operation — cleaning of aircrafts during scheduled repaint.

Main advantages of laser cleaning technology:

• absence of abrasives and, as a result, no abrasive wear of treated structures
• no heating
• high efficiency of process
• possibility of automation
• environmental cleanness
• possibility of paint application without additional preparation of surface
• minimum noise
• minimum power consumption.