Handheld 2000 W laser cleaner removes corrosion, paint, other contamination
Laser Photonics (Orlando, FL), which makes fiber and CO2 laser machines for marking, cleaning, cutting, and engraving, has launched what the company says is the first 2000 W handheld laser cleaning machine that is fully capable of meeting health and environmental regulations in manufacturing environments.
Laser cleaning aims at minimizing chemical and abrasive usage in industrial environments to meet increasing compliance with OSHA and EPA requirements' the stricter compliance regulations require safer practices in addressing pollution and health concerns.
Laser Photonics says that the laser cleaning system, called Cleantech LPC 2000CTH, uses a high-powered, energy-efficient laser to clean a variety of materials and is well suited for industrial manufacturers operating with components that have to withstand high-temperature environments, such as maintenance and repair facilities for military, shipbuilding, and aircraft repair facilities as well as turbines, jet engines, and combustion motors.
The technology has seen a wave of adoption by big players in industries such as aerospace, automotive, military and defense, power generation, and marine and shipbuilding, says the company.
Laser cleaning works by directing a high-powered laser beam at a material ready for cleaning, rust removal, corrosion removal, decontamination, depainting, prewelding, or other surface preparation processes. This process can substitute for or replace industrial cleaning processes such as abrasive blasting, sandblasting, and wet chemical processes for decontamination or corrosion removal. The LPC 2000 CTH cleans materials made of aluminum, anodized aluminum, alloy metals, stainless steel, mild steel, copper, brass, nontransparent plastics, plaques, and others.
According to Laser Photonics, the LPC 2000 CTH is the fastest laser cleaner available in the market that does not damage the base material of components. Different modes of operations allow the laser to remove charring, rust, or paint at high speeds and volumes but is gentle enough to clean small, delicate parts.
A video on the laser cleaner can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOjLQF9F5Lw&t=2s.
Source: Laser Photonics https://www.laserphotonics.com
John Wallace | Senior Technical Editor (1998-2022)
John Wallace was with Laser Focus World for nearly 25 years, retiring in late June 2022. He obtained a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and physics at Rutgers University and a master's in optical engineering at the University of Rochester. Before becoming an editor, John worked as an engineer at RCA, Exxon, Eastman Kodak, and GCA Corporation.