HOW LASER CLEANING WORKS
We shoot extreme short energy (infra red) pulses to a surface. Depending
on the surface state and type a certain amount of energy is absorbed and
converted into thermal energy. This energy can be used to evaporate the
surface contaminant in dust and gasses. In between the pulses the surface
can cool down and the cleaning can be controlled. The pulse energy is
delivered in 100x1000x1000000 of a second delay time. Being so short
the base material has no time to transmit the energy into the material.
By manipulating the laser fluence, its wavelength and its pulse length, the
amount of material that is being removed by a single laser pulse can be
controlled with extreme precision. Making laser cleaning equally suitable
for rapid and deep rust removal as for removing only one thin layer of
paint, without damaging the base coat.