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How to Choose the Right Laser Cleaner

12/27/2019
Laser Cleaning

Whether water has rusted the bulkhead of your aircraft or hazardous paint is beginning to chip from your equipment, you require a cleaning solution that is both safe and effective. Laser ablation uses precision cleaning to remove contaminants such as oil, rust, mold release agents, paint, and more — but how can you choose the right laser cleaner for your needs? Are there different types, and what should you know before you make a purchase?

ADAPT LASER’S SALES PROCESS

Before we can choose the right laser solution for your needs, first, we need to get to know you and the applications requiring cleaning. This involves asking a few questions and talking through the:

General size, area, and geometry of the parts needing to be cleaned
Material substrate(s)
Coating/contaminant type and thickness
Current cleaning type, rate, and cycle
Desired cleaning rate
Previous processing steps in the part lifecycle
Next steps after cleaning
Operational details surrounding the laser process

Once we have a better understanding of your application and feel we have a solution, we’ll test our laser solutions to determine the best laser setup for your needs. Our lab provides the ideal conditions for testing our laser solutions, but we’re also able to test your product on-site at your location when needed. Ultimately, whether our laser solutions will work for you boils down to one thing: can we accomplish the desired result? This includes not only from a technical standpoint but also an operational one.

YOUR LASER CLEANING OPTIONS

There are two main options to consider when choosing a cleaning laser: delivery system and power level. What’s right for your project means understanding the needs of the project and the requirements of your operations. Your cleaning options are typically determined during our sales process. We’ll ask questions about your cleaning project as well as test our laser solutions to find out which application gets the desired result.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT LASER DELIVERY SYSTEM

There are two delivery options available for laser cleaning: handheld and automatic. Handheld options work exceptionally well for projects requiring mobility, unique surface geometries, and varying parts numbers. For regular, repeated cleanings, however, an automated delivery system is the better choice. By working with several robotics options, we can create a laser cleaning solution that integrates into your production line and increases the efficiency of your processes.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT POWER LEVEL

With laser cleaning, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. That’s why we offer three different power levels of cleaning lasers manufactured only by our CleanLASER partners to deliver the highest quality laser cleaning available. Depending on your needs, we offer:

LOW-POWER LASER SOLUTIONS

Low-powered doesn’t equate to ineffective. In fact, our low-power laser solutions provide a gentle, high-precision cleaning perfect for historic restoration, de-coating, and small treatment areas. It uses short pulses of laser light and has the same intensity as other powered cleaners, but is ideal for products such as:

Historical artifacts
Valuable heirlooms
Small automotive parts
Rubber/Injection molds
Any application where gentle cleaning is required

MID-POWER LASER SOLUTIONS

Our mid-power laser has a quicker cleaning rate and allows for larger surface area cleaning. It’s digitally controlled and user-friendly. Each laser is controlled from their supporting optics system and is perfect for:

Oxide or lubricant removal prior to welding
Targeted corrosion removal on aircraft wings
Composite and tire molds
Historic restoration
Paint removal on aircraft

HIGH-POWER LASER SOLUTIONS

Our high-power laser solutions are some of the most powerful on the market. The application is easy to use and features a touch-screen display and real-time controls. It produces larger amounts of energy per pulse of laser light, making it ideal for industrial use and:

Eliminating corrosion from metals
Hazardous coating removal
Pre-treatment of welding seams
Nuclear decontamination
Cleaning prior to non-destructive testing/investigation

RISKS OF USING THE WRONG LASER

While our laser solutions are considered one of the safest and most effective forms of application cleaning, using the wrong laser is not only dangerous for your product, you’ll waste thousands of dollars on something that doesn’t fulfill your needs. That’s why we spend critical time during the sales process identifying your needs and testing lasers to ensure the laser solution built to order is a perfect fit for your industry requirements. By using the wrong laser, you risk:

Damaging your product(s)
Not properly cleaning your product(s)
The laser being too slow and not producing the right results
Wasting costs on ineffective results

WHAT PRODUCTS NEED LASER CLEANING?

From metal to nonmetal applications, if your product is covered by contaminants — including rust, grease, mold, oil, or others — then laser cleaning may be the right solution for you. Laser cleaning works best on targeted areas and uses laser light to absorb into and remove contaminants. With thousands of laser pulses per second, you can clean anything — from a small area on an aircraft to the bulkhead of an aircraft carrier. Plus, we provide laser solutions for:

Welding and bonding treatments
Coating preparation
Nuclear decontamination
Surface prep for non-destructive testing/investigation

BENEFITS OF LASER CLEANING

Unlike other forms of cleaning — including media blasting and plasma cleaning — when used properly, laser cleaning ticks the safety boxes for your operators and employees, your product(s), and the environment. The only safety wear your operators will need to use are safety glasses and a designated hazard zone.

Our laser solutions create no additional waste and absorb into and remove contaminants down to the foundation — without damaging your substrate. This means that each time you use our lasers, you’re ensuring a smooth finish that protects the lifespan of your product and is safe for the environment.

Each of our laser solutions is custom-built to order and comes with a warranty, an optional service/maintenance contract, and safety training by our team — including general and unique safety considerations, equipment operations and maintenance tips, proper troubleshooting tactics, and more. While we suggest a designated laser safety officer be present at each location a laser is deployed, our goal is to provide the training you need to operate our lasers safely and effectively.

Since there are so many factors when choosing the right laser for your needs, the only way to determine the best laser solution for your products is to talk to one of our laser specialists. They’ll walk you through the sales process, answering all of your questions and providing you with the resources and tools you need to make the best decision for your business.

WHATEVER YOUR NEEDS, ADAPT LASER HAS A SOLUTION FOR IT

Adapt Laser specializes in the know-how and application of laser cleaning solutions. We offer products with a range between 20 and 2,000 watts and provide training — including laser safety procedures, equipment operations and maintenance, and troubleshooting — to ensure your employees can get the most from their laser cleaning solutions. We’ve equipped a variety of industries and companies with laser cleaning solutions — including military and defense for the US Air Force and Navy — and hundreds of organizations trust our state-of-the-art laser cleaning solutions.