4JET has extended its product offering for laser surface processing systems by introducing a new range of flexible laser cleaning systems. Contact-free laser cleaning is a superior alternative to many conventional cleaning technologies in industrial manufacturing and maintenance. Laser cleaning is non-abrasive to the surface, environmentally friendly and works at almost neglectable consumable cost. For industrial cleaning tasks requiring high flexibility or the use of portable systems, we developed the Jetlaser series of flexible, handheld laser cleaning systems.
Using traditional cleaning methods such as media blasting or chemical cleaning, it is difficult, if not impossible, to monitor the process in real time. Blasting media and subsequent dust will obscure the parts and coat optics, whereas chemical cleaning is an intrinsically corrosive environment. It is also true that these processes may cause more damage to the substrate.
With laser cleaning, it is possible to integrate machine vision into the equipment and, with suitable optical filtering, inspect the parts as they are being cleaned. This makes it is possible to inspect the parts in-line to determine if they are fully cleaned or if additional cleaning passes are required. A single pass is sometimes not enough to remove the containment material, but with three or four passes, a cleaning plateau has been reached.
Powered by fibre, maintenance free solid state lasers and integrated into a rugged mobile cabinet, the symmetrical design of the end effector provides for an ergonomic two- hand operation. Additionally, scalable laser power allows
to individually balance surface removal rates and investment cost.
Low powered systems for limited area processing are now available for price levels similar to mechanical blasting or dry-ice cleaning systems and open up a vast range of low-volume applications that were considered too price sensitive for laser cleaning only few years ago. In combination with robot integration and the world’s highest power cleaning lasers, the Jetlaser can also be used for high-throughput solutions that reach many square meters of cleaning capacity per hour.
What can be removed from workpiece surfaces by laser? Laser cleaning systems are excellent for removing oils, release agents, paints and rust from workpieces made of metal or composite materials. Lasers can also be used to treat some plastic combinations and even wood.
The mobile laser cleaning system of the 4JET Group allows line widths of between 10mm and 60mm. In the case of stationary systems, user-specific line widths can also be implemented on site.
For further details contact LuMec Engineering Services on TEL: 081 579 0450 or visit www.lumeces.co.za
