Table of Contents
What is Laser Cleaning or Blasting?
Laser blasting or laser cleaning is the process of sending thousands of nanosecond length pulses of light towards the metal surface to remove rust, oxide, paints, and other contamination particles. It is an eco-friendly and environmentally friendly process. Due to that, it is used for different applications. When laser light gets in contact with the metal surface, either due to high heat contamination particles evaporate, or due to pressure contamination particles get free from the surface.
How does laser cleaning or laser blasting work?
In this laser cleaning process, light energy in pulse form is bombarding on the metal surface to increase the temperature and pressure to remove contamination from the surface.
The laser medium consists of a crystal, gas, or fiber as per the application. It is placed in the resonant cavity and covered partially with highly reflective mirrors. These reflective mirrors make the variation in lights and concentrate on the metal surface. Every medium has variations in the construction and its process of working.
When we switch on the laser cleaning or blasting device, the laser medium gets active and emits light towards the reflective mirrors. These reflective mirrors are arranged to pass all these lights through a single hole onto the metal surface. Due to that, it creates
Laser cleaning or laser-blasting is a better option than sandblasting process.
Parameters to select laser cleaning or laser blasting machine?
Laser power
Every industrial application has different requirements. So, it varies, as per this power of the laser.
- Low power- It ranges from 21watt to 100 watts. Its rust removal rate is low. So, It is suitable for light applications.
- Medium power- It ranges from 200watt to 300 watts. As its power increases, its dust and contamination removal rate increase. It produces more heat to remove contaminations.
- High power- It ranges from 350watt to 2000 watts. It is especially for high industrial applications. It produces high heat and consumes more power.
Mobility
- Handheld- These are light in weight and are portable. Its weight is less than 15kg and easy to fit in the case. The operator can move this machine by hand over the surface of the metal.
- Machine fix- It is suitable for the automation industries where the use of conveyors is common. Various products moving on the conveyor belt and machine can clean their surfaces. It gives better stability and uniforms laser over the surface.
- Cabinet system- In this system, the machine component is placed in an enclosed chamber, and cleaning takes place with lasers.
Price
- It depends on the type of application, power rating, nature of use, etc
Industrial applications of laser cleaning
This technology is preferable in the manufacturing industries.
1. Surface Cleaning-
This type of application is most common in heavy machine equipment manufacturing industries. Due to the use of multiple applications, machine surfaces get contaminated by oxides and rust. So laser-blasting is a common process to remove it.
2. Onsite structure cleaning- Some of the onsite structures are difficult to remove and carry cleaning process on it. In that case, the portable laser-blasting machine can clean these surfaces to remove rust.
3. In chemical equipment cleaning- Due to the use of various chemicals, equipment surfaces, and other devices start rusting. To remove this rust and contamination from the surface laser-blasting is useful.
4. Mold cleaning- In the food industry, it is necessary to have all equipment and machines clean and neat. So the use of laser cleaning is prime important to clean containers fast and more accurately.
These food processing machine industries are following government standards related to cleanliness. Cleaning of rubber is difficult by normal cleaning process because of its absorption property. So laser cleaning can do it without damaging and affecting its property. So rubber molds can clean easily.
5. Cleaning welds– During the welding of any equipment, a welding spot forms on the welding area, and it looks weary. Hence, it is necessary to remove these impurities from the surface.
Laser cleaning is a better option in this case. It works superbly on welding areas to remove the impurities and oxidations. It can clean welding spots easily.
Contamination removes by laser cleaning machine.
- Paints
- Rust
- Oxidation
- Fats
- Oil
- Lacquers and adhesives
- Ink
- Dried polyurethane foam
- Grease
- Natural and synthetic rubbers
- Separators
Advantages of laser cleaning or laser blasting
- No use of any abrasives
- Easy to automate
- No consumables require
- Energy saving
- Chemical fee process.
- It does not affect the chemical composition of the material.
- Safe to use
- Cost-saving
- Require less time for this process rather than other cleaning processes.
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