Oxidation occurs when atmospheric and environmental conditions interact with metal surfaces, causing the metal to corrode, or rust. This significantly hinders the lifespan and performance of parts and equipment. While traditional methods of rust removal and corrosion control involve blasting and lots of protective equipment, laser rust removal provides a better way forward.

Laser cleaning offers a safe and much faster way to remove rust from any type of metal. It fully removes corrosion to the bare metal without altering the integrity of the metal. It also eliminates the hassle of having to dispose of hazardous waste. This means that once the cleaning is done, the job is done – providing the perfect solution for aircraft, ship, and armored vehicle maintenance.

It’s fast, safe, and it cleans without the need of any harsh media or chemicals. The quick setup and teardown time also makes laser cleaning a time saver for you and your team.

Laser cleaning uses the fact that everything absorbs different wavelengths of light at different rates. Essentially, our laser cleaners are calibrated to vaporise a predetermined contaminant and no other material, based on the factors that affect the rates that they absorb different wavelengths of light, including their colour and chemical composition.

We tune our laser cleaners to vaporise only unwanted layers of material selectively and instantly. Providing there is a discrimination between the base substrate and the contaminant to be cleaned, our lasers will be tuned to remove the unwanted layer while having the base substrate simply reflect the calibrated laser light, resulting in zero damage.

Our laser cleaners can be tuned to clean to a predetermined level. We understand that the client does not always want a brand-new feel, as with heritage restoration. Our lasers can be calibrated to remove only the fire damage and not affect the natural heritage look of the stone.

• Selective, precise stripping of layers. Laser, unlike sandblasting, is selective, making it easy to focus on a very small spot or strip with no effect on adjacent materials.
• No damage to the substrate. The removal of the degraded or coated layer affects only a few microns and the materials absorb the radiation according to their color, making the action of the laser even more specific.
• Elimination of environmental issues. Because the laser cleaning system does not require the use of chemicals or of abrasive materials, there are no grinding fumes to breathe or contaminate the area; and no hazardous chemicals to dispose of.
• Faster, more cost-efficient procedure. Laser cleaning systems provide the lowest operating cost of all industrial cleaning methods. Lasers are many times faster than the use of chemicals, lowering labor costs. Large material and disposal costs are eliminated because the laser leaves no waste or debris. Often returns on the investment can be seen in less than a year.

While there are a variety of systems currently on the market, none are 100% effective in removing rust, paint, and other surface materials that are in difficult to reach areas. Most systems use a statically positioned Galvo scan head because this approach limits the laser cleaning ability to only the static path of the trajectory beam with an F-theta lens.

As an analogy, imagine the sun and the direction of its rays hitting an object at 12 o’clock noon. The sun’s rays either hit the object directly over the top or depending on the object’s angle from the sun, it will hit the side of the object that is exposed to the sun’s rays thereby leaving the other areas unaffected. Furthermore, other systems aren’t efficient at preventing accidental exposure to excess laser radiation.

Does laser cleaning remove rust permanently?
Just as rust can develop on your metal products over time, so can it happen again. while laser cleaning doesn’t permanently remove rust, it does eliminate the risk of degrading your applications. that means that with proper maintenance, you can extend the lifespan of your product and decrease downtime and inefficiencies.

Can lasers clean pipes/tubes?
Generally speaking, laser cleaning is best suited for areas you can see with the naked eye, so cleaning pipes, tubes, and other difficult-to-see areas will require specialized optics and a custom solution that can handle these atypical laser cleaning projects. at adapt laser, our team is committed to finding the perfect cleaning solution for your needs, so contact us to see if we can craft a laser cleaning option for your application.

Can laser cleaning be used for car restoration?
Laser ablation is an ideal solution for many car manufacturing processes, but it may not be the most cost effective solution for a typical car restoration project. for one-off cleaning projects, laser cleaning is often not the most cost-effective cleaning option. car restoration also involves reaching many hard-to-see areas, so it may require a more customized cleaning solution. contact our team today for a consultation to see if our cleaning lasers would be a good fit for your car restoration project.

Which solution is best for removing rust from my car?
Laser cleaning is best suited for automotive manufacturing operations that involve large production quantities or repeated tasks. it also has the benefit of being safe on sensitive surface materials and being able to reach smaller, targeted areas like door frames and structural framing. smaller operations or one-off restoration projects generally don’t present the best business case for the purchase of a cleaning laser. contact our team to learn more, or see if outsourcing your parts cleaning to our laser cleaning job shop might be a more cost-effective solution for your needs.

Can I attach the laser solution to a robot?
All of our laser solutions can be automated by robots. this option is a key part of our custom build process. if you think you may want this option with your solution, talk to our sales team when discussing the features of your custom build. and, connect us with your provider so that we may guarantee the fitting.

Laser rust removal for defense & military applications
Since laser ablation can remove oxidation on metal surfaces without damaging the substrate layers, it provides a highly effective, nondestructive method of rust removal for military vehicles and equipment. whereas traditional cleaning methods are time consuming and hazardous to both workers and the environment, laser cleaning offers a safer and more efficient alternative.

Which solution is best for removing rust from my car?
Laser cleaning is best suited for automotive manufacturing operations that involve large production quantities or repeated tasks. it also has the benefit of being safe on sensitive surface materials and being able to reach smaller, targeted areas like door frames and structural framing. smaller operations or one-off restoration projects generally don’t present the best business case for the purchase of a cleaning laser. contact our team to learn more, or see if outsourcing your parts cleaning to our laser cleaning job shop might be a more cost-effective solution for your needs.

Can I attach the laser solution to a robot?
All of our laser solutions can be automated by robots. this option is a key part of our custom build process. if you think you may want this option with your solution, talk to our sales team when discussing the features of your custom build. and, connect us with your provider so that we may guarantee the fitting.