LASER CLEANING MACHINES FOR THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY

Laser cleaning systems are highly efficient at removing impurities on a material, but the process is not restorative and cannot repair defects that are close to the substrate surface. However, the removal of bulk surface material allows for the inspection of the components after cleaning. This is particularly important for component-critical industries, such as aerospace, where small defects can have catastrophic implications. As there is no need for a secondary process to remove cleaning media, the inspection can occur either during the cleaning process or immediately after the cleaning process. Lasers are used in the aerospace industry to clean molds and to remove paint coatings or impurities. The process to remove impurities is a challenging task, and lasers have minimal impact on substrates and leave no residue behind. For the cleaning process, both handled and standalone lasers are used for a wide range of commercial and non-commercial aircraft.