Chemical Cleaning vs Fiber Laser Cleaning
Good for cleaning surface contamination from a whole part, chemical cleaning is not easily applied to a selective area. Disposing of the chemicals is an increasingly difficult and costly challenge due to regulatory controls.
Fiber lasers can be applied selectively. With no chemicals to degrade, quality is consistent, and there are no chemical solvent disposal issues. With no drying time, parts are available immediately.
Major Advantages of Fiber Laser Cleaning Technology: Elimination of Chemical Solvents
Handling and disposal of hazardous chemical solvents is eliminated by laser cleaning. The reduction in costs of consumable solvents and the expensive requirements for post-process treatment and disposal of these chemicals are not a factor for laser cleaning, making it both the environmentally preferred and lowest cost solution.
Controllable Non-Damaging Process
Laser cleaning provides greater levels of control than are available for any competing process. The highly focusable and steerable laser beam can be directed precisely as desired, while sensitive and repeatable power settings deliver only the amount of energy that is called for. The range of IPG fiber lasers includes pulsed models specifically designed to produce optimum cleaning results with a minimum of heat generation.
Reduction in Waste Products
Laser cleaning is a non-contact process that removes only the unwanted materials. With no abrasives or secondary components involved, laser cleaning produces fewer types and lower quantities of waste products than any other cleaning process. Less waste materials means lower process costs.
Highly ECOLOGICAL
With laser cleaning, you save not only time and energy, but also protect the environment by drastically reducing waste, and there is no need for any additives or chemical substances.
Why do we have to investigate alternative solutions to chemical and mechanical paint removal?
The list of negatives concerning chemical depainting is long, including:
The requirement to mask sensitive areas of the fuselage prior to chemical application;
The requirement for personal protective equipment to handle the chemicals;
Large water usage to rinse chemicals from aircraft;
Large multiplication of hazardous waste volume;
Release of carcinogenic hexavalent chrome primer into the waste stream;
Personnel exposure to hazardous chemicals;
The inability to use on aircraft wings because of chemical ingress;
The requirement to de-mask prior to painting; and
The cost of hazardous waste disposal.