Laser rust remover

[dilligaf13]

Looks too good to be true. Anyone have any insight on this??

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CLaBFkeHG0A

 

[Artisan]

Alls I saw from that link was THIS

 

[Artisan]

But in further research I find some promising intel.

Click HERE to go to www.cleanlaser.de

I want to know more...

 

[dilligaf13]

Try this one
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o7xPd_nSVrs

 

[Artisan]

OK, I am down...

How much and where?

THAT is the question.... I see many videos but WHO is selling a
working unit and I still want to know what the post surface is, post
laser cleaning. I bet ya you still have to blast the surface.

Cooking oxides can only leave debris/coating , yes?

 

[dilligaf13]

My guess is there are no working units for sale to the general public just yet. I'm sure the initial price will be ridiculous but I'm also sure that the Chinese will violate all the usual patent laws and produce a cheaper unit in no time, like usual. Like I said, it looks too good to be true so I'm sure there's a backstory along the lines of "prior to use the area must be prepared" or some such trash....

 

[Xxtankmasterx]

I would guess that it obliterates the top layer or whatever you are using it on. Which would mean you probably have to finish it the good old way. Though it might burn the debris and oxides right off and go straight to the new metal (which in theory and assuming they have enough power they SHOULD do it). http://adapt-laser.com/ourproducts.php?id=21 is a place that rents them for $7500-8500 a week or sales them for $135,000-250,000. Though these guys have different models.

 

[tim292stro]

I saw this back in the 1990's. From the video brief I watched, it is a ranging pulse followed by a thermal shock pulse. The power of the thermal line is controlled by the range pulse, to deliver a thermal shock to the surface. This thermal shock is not necessarily strong enough to burn the material - rather the rapid expansion of the surface will cause the surface material to fracture and spring away from other surface material. Much like using dry-ice to "sand-blast", this shock is what pushes the surface material away from the surface.

Here's an article from the mid 90's about how it works a bit:
View attachment 04_96.3.pdf

 

[swbradley1]

Good grief, when the Terminator went into the gun store he only asked for a Plasma Rifle in the 40 Watt range. Imagine what he would have done to the police station with a 1000 Watt laser.



I'm going to swing by Harbor Freight and see how much I can get one for.

 

[Whiterabbit]

Would you trust your life with a 1K laser from Harbor Freight?? (aka Hazard Fraught)
I don't even trust their screw drivers!!!

 

[Karl kostman]

like Artisan said SHOW ME THE MONEY! For 7800$ for a week of use I can sand blast a small fleet of trucks! Its very interesting and I hope CHINA gets to work fast on this one!
KK

 

[The HUlk]

OK, I am down...

How much and where?

THAT is the question.... I see many videos but WHO is selling a
working unit and I still want to know what the post surface is, post
laser cleaning. I bet ya you still have to blast the surface.

Cooking oxides can only leave debris/coating , yes?

I am in the laser business and can offer some insight. The laser in the video looks to be a focused, scanning variety. I'd guess 1064nm(color of light) @ 20Watt(output energy) or more. Probably a fiber or YAG type(how the beam is generated) Good brand name lasers such as these are tens of thousands of dollars in cost. They typically have a small field of view and are used for high precision processing and marking applications. They are not a practical solution for large scale rust removal such as would be done with a sand blaster.

The laser beam is directed through a lens which focuses it down to a spot like the old sunlight through a maginfying glass experiment only much hotter if desired. Hot enough to cause a plasma reaction on the surface of steel for example. The beam is typically passed over two rotating mirrors before the focus lens. These mirrors move the beam in X & Y axis across the face of the lens, which causes the focused beam to move in X & Y axis on the surface being lased. The beam can be moved at very high speeds to 6000mm/sec. The energy levels & speed of the beam's movement, and path are all programmable to achieve the desired result. Such as lightly lasing a white background on an aluminum casting, then agressively lasing(burning) a black QR code onto it which contains data of some type to be machine readable. The black code on white background gives a high contrast appearance similar to that of a white label with black ink.

The post surface condition varies depending on the material and type of surface lasing that is performed. Mild steel will instantly oxidize(rust) when agressive marks/engraving occur, however milder high speed lasing can act to shine up the surface by removing surface impurities. Steel parts that are laser marked typically fare better in automotive salt spray(extended life rust) testing where the mark is made.

Vacuum extraction is typically used to pull debris from the area so it does not affect the process or remain on the surface. When cleaning metals, the debris is usually "cooked" into such tiny partices they pretty much dissappear, especially with vacuum extraction.