Naval Application Of Laser Ablation Paint Removal Technology

Laser ablation produces significantly less waste than do other stripping processes.

Naval application of laser ablation paint removal technology.

Wide pulse beam that was guided by previously recorded geometric analysis data. The company used this technology until about 2000 when it was replaced with an nd yag laser from northrop grumman s cutting edge optronics in st. Laser removal of protective coatings from naval vessels is a promising alternative to traditional paint stripping methods such as grit blasting chemical paint stripping needle grinding etc. Both private sector repair yards and government naval shipyards desire a safer more efficient and environmentally friendly method of paint removal.

It s also known as laser coating removal and de coating. Laser demand when lasertronics launched its first paint stripping system in the mid 1990s it did so with a co 2 laser. The laser beam is pulsed onto the part with a precise energy density. Laser paint removal laser paint removal is a process through which a paint layer is removed from a surface without damaging the substrate.

It does this in two ways. Laser ablation has the potential to remove paint and other coatings from ship s surfaces using a process that is faster safer and less expensive than conventional methods. The lasertronics laser ablation system dramatically reduces and simplifies management of the waste products generated by stripping. Selective paint removal represents one of the many applications of laser cleaning.

Over the last few decades abrasive blasting was the most widely used paint stripping method used for large area marine structures though smaller repairs may be performed using various handheld tools. This is often the case when the top weathered coatings on vehicles need to be thoroughly removed before the application of a new. As the paint is vaporized the. In the automobile and aerospace industry it is sometimes necessary to remove the top layer of paint while maintaining the primer.

The radome was affixed to a device that rotated as the laser beam ablated the paint from the surface. During coating removal the surface temperature of the radome never exceeded 170 f. It is higher than the paint ablation threshold but lower than the substrate ablation threshold. Jim russell lasertronics director of business development said the nd yag s flexible fiber optic beam.

The co 2 laser generated a 0 5 in. With a predictive three times more efficient removal rate markedly improved worker safety and reduction in hazardous waste streams the business case is clear.