Laser Cleaning

With laser cleaning (ablation), a layer of a material (rust), or a material that is deposited on a given surface (paint), is removed with the aid of a laser beam.  With this cleaning, the rust or paint layer is vaporized.  The targeted material absorbs the laser beam energy – the fast heating evaporates (sublimates) the rust and coating.  The surface beneath the rust and paint does not absorb any energy – it stays untouched.

IRISNDT applies laser cleaning to:

1. 1. Remove paint, including lead paint, in pressure equipment.
2. 2. Remove paint from nameplates.
3. 3. Remove mold, gasket residuals, and debris from metals, brick, wood, and concrete.
4. 4. Remove oxide build-up before inspecting deaerators and equipment in cyclic service.

Advantages

• Dry and clean
• Minimal disturbance to working area (no hoarding such as needed for media blasting)
• Safe for any substrate, even very delicate surfaces
• Unrivaled level of control
• No unwanted side effects
• Not abrasive or potentially hazardous
• Suitable for hard-to-reach areas or surfaces
• Suitable for use in hazardous or dangerous environments
• Lower setup costs than most other cleaning techniques
• Absolute minimum of residue, mostly dust
• Quick installation and setup time

See Laser Paint Removal before Recoating – Is it as good as Sandblasting?  Detailed coating and microscopic examinations showed good coating adhesion for laser cleaned as for media blasted plates.  Originally, before the initial coating, the plates had been media blasted.

Considerations

This technology is developing rapidly.  New applications are becoming realities daily.

On-Site Requirements:

1. 1. Access to the equipment of about 1 m (3.3 ft)
2. 2. At least 75 mm (3 inch) of clearance between pipes to cast the laser beam
3. 3. Ambient room temperature between -10 and +35ºC
4. 4. 2 separate 120v/15amp grounded power sources (can be a generator)