Laser cleaning

What is laser cleaning?

Laser cleaning is a modern and proven technical process that uses laser radiation to produce clean surfaces on components. A laser beam removes impurities such as rust, oil or oxides from steel and other material surfaces without contact. Laser cleaning works by laser ablation and causes the specific removal of impurities. The targeted use of high-intensity laser pulses dissolves the layer of dirt on the surface of the component substrate during the process and enables the dirt to be removed by suction. The effects on the base material are minimal.

The use of lasers for surface cleaning cleans components at the desired points without tool contact with the workpiece. Laser cleaning is therefore the process of choice when it comes to high-quality and reproducible preparation for laser welding applications. With the right choice of parameters, applications such as cleaning, marking or structuring can also be implemented with a marking system.

What are the advantages of laser cleaning compared to other methods?

The main advantage of all laser applications is that it is always a localized and non-contact process. This ensures very low stress on the component. Another advantage of laser cleaning is that no additional consumables are required.

Industrial cleaning – including, for example, removing rust from old steel parts or removing paint and oil from metal parts – can be a laborious and time-consuming process. Chemical cleaning processes with specific solvents tailored to the material are often required. Laser cleaning is a cost-effective and efficient alternative for many applications to ensure high-quality and gentle cleaning of components without the use of consumables.

In summary, these advantages of laser cleaning are convincing for many applications:

Contactless process
High precision and selective local cleaning using a directed laser beam
Versatility thanks to suitability for many materials and contaminants
Environmentally friendly process without chemicals or abrasive media
Efficiency thanks to automation
Cost-effective process without consumables and minimized
Safety thanks to the absence of hazardous substances

For which materials and components is laser cleaning suitable?

Laser cleaning is a very versatile technology and is suitable for a wide range of materials and components. Both metal and plastic components can be marked, cleaned and structured using laser cleaning. The process is therefore used in a wide range of industries to gently and precisely remove contaminants from surfaces.

Suitable materials include:

The component portfolio is correspondingly diverse and ranges from battery housings and differentials to the removal of cathodic dip coating.

Our core competence:

Can laser cleaning also be used for series production?

Laser cleaning is attractive for series production and predestined for many applications. These advantages make laser cleaning the cleaning process of choice for many applications:

High speed and efficiency thanks to simple integration, automation and fast laser beam processing. The result is good reproducibility, increased productivity and cost efficiency.
Environmentally friendly, as no consumables are required for cleaning and the amount of material to be disposed of is minimized.
Selective and focused process, as the laser beam is used precisely at the point required for the subsequent application. The selective mode of operation is particularly important when it comes to complex components or very specific areas to be cleaned.
Processing with a laser beam is always contact-free. The stress on the component is therefore minimal.
Flexibility and versatility, as the laser for cleaning can be easily integrated into existing production lines and is suitable for a wide range of materials and surfaces.

Can laser cleaning remove corrosion or coatings?

Yes, the removal of surfaces contaminated by corrosion or coatings is one of the main applications of laser cleaning. The advantages over conventional methods such as chemical cleaning or sandblasting are numerous:

High precision, as even complex geometries and hard-to-reach areas can be cleaned.
Fast, efficient and effective thanks to automation and selective local cleaning.
No additional contamination as no consumables are required.
Economical, as costs can be reduced by eliminating chemicals and post-processing.

Laser cleaning removes rust, paints and coatings reliably and gently. In addition to these applications, the process is also very suitable for cleaning surfaces before welding or bonding. A clean surface is always a prerequisite for a good and lasting bond for these two joining techniques. A special application is the cleaning of historical artifacts. Laser cleaning has the great advantage of very gentle processing for this area of application and is therefore ideal for the restoration of sensitive objects.

Over 35 years of experience and the trust of
more than 500 customers speak for us.

Customised solutions

BLS Lasertechnology manufactures customised solutions at the highest level. The BLS team works closely with its customers to develop the optimum laser application.

Flexibility

The adaptive use of resources enables a high degree of flexibility in production and deliveries at short notice.

Know-how

With over 35 years of laser experience, the BLS team offers exceptional expertise in laser processing. BLS customers also have access to experts in materials science, fixture construction and machine technology.

High performance

A powerful and broad range of machines (up to 12 KW laser power) with different laser sources (CO2 to solid-state) enable the optimum setup for every customer application.

Which laser cleaning system does BLS Lasertechnology GmbH use?

A TRUMPF marking system is used for laser cleaning, which is specially designed for small to medium batch sizes. The VisionLine image processing system provides a camera system which, for example, detects the component position to ensure that marking or processing takes place in the right place. This increases process reliability.

For which industries does BLS Lasertechnology GmbH offer laser cleaning?

Laser cleaning is mainly used at BLS Lasertechnology GmbH for the automotive industry. Important applications include the removal of rust, paint and other contaminants from car body components or engines and tools, for example. Laser cleaning is also used to prepare surfaces for subsequent processes such as coating or painting.

Thanks to the versatility of the proven industrial cleaning process in terms of applications and materials, it is also used as an attractive option to conventional cleaning methods in these industries:

Aerospace: Cleaning of sensitive components such as engines or turbines. Removal of contamination before assembly.
Electronics industry: Cleaning of circuit boards, sensors and other electronic components, primarily in the form of removing oxides and residues.
Medical technology: Cleaning surgical instruments and implants and removing residues from medical components produced using 3D printing.
Plastics industry: Removal of impurities such as mold release agents from plastic parts. Surface preparation for bonding or coating.
Restoration: Cleaning and restoration of metal art objects and historical artifacts.

What other services does BLS Lasertechnology GmbH offer in connection with laser cleaning?

BLS Lasertechnology GmbH offers laser cleaning to prepare components for subsequent processing steps. This includes

BLS Lasertechnology GmbH has extensive know-how and many years of expertise in the field of laser technologies and also offers these services:

What else should I know about laser cleaning at BLS Lasertechnology GmbH?

The TRUMPF marking system used has a camera system with VisionLine and enables 360° process control. Laser cleaning as a service is just one of the many laser applications used at BLS Lasertechnology GmbH. BLS focuses on the flexible processing of quantities ranging from 1 to several thousand.

For BLS Lasertechnology GmbH, it goes without saying that all customer-specific requirements for laser cleaning are implemented exclusively by the team of experts. The team pays attention to quality and precision as well as repeat accuracy.

BLS Lasertechnology GmbH is your reliable and competent partner for laser cleaning. The experienced team and the powerful laser machine ensure high and reliable quality.