What is a pulse laser cleaning machine

1.Pulse laser cleaning machine: the future star of efficient cleaning

Pulse laser cleaning machine is a cleaning device that uses high-frequency short-pulse laser as the working medium. It has many significant features.
First of all, non-contact cleaning is one of its major features. Traditional cleaning methods may use chemicals or rub the surface of the object to clean, which can easily cause wear or damage to the material. The pulse laser cleaning machine can directly irradiate the laser beam onto the stain without touching the surface of the object, accurately cleaning the target area, thus avoiding any potential damage.
Secondly, high efficiency is also its outstanding advantage. The cleaning process is very fast. In just a few seconds, stubborn stains can be completely removed, making the surface of the cleaned object look brand new, greatly improving the efficiency of cleaning work. For example, in some industrial production, the pulse laser cleaning machine can quickly remove pollutants such as oil and rust on the metal surface, providing a good foundation for subsequent processing procedures.
Furthermore, the pulse laser cleaning machine is environmentally friendly and energy-saving. Compared with traditional cleaning methods, it does not require the use of any chemicals or detergents, reducing pollution to the environment. At the same time, it does not require the consumption of a large amount of water resources, and the energy consumption is low, which greatly reduces the energy consumption and cost of the cleaning process.
In short, the pulse laser cleaning machine is recognized and used by more and more people for its non-contact cleaning, high efficiency and environmental protection, providing great convenience and benefits for people's cleaning work.

2.Market size and prospects

Global market trends
According to market research reports, the global pulse laser cleaning machine market has shown a steady growth trend. It is expected that the global pulse laser cleaning machine market will continue to expand in the next few years. In the global market, major manufacturers include Trumpf, Han's Laser, IPG Photonics, HGLASER, etc. Among them, the top five manufacturers in the world will account for about 70% of the market share in 2023. For example, Trumpf occupies an important position in the global market, and its advanced technology and high-quality products are deeply favored by customers.
The growth of the global pulse laser cleaning machine market is mainly due to the following factors. First, strict environmental protection regulations have promoted the application of chemical-free cleaning technology. As an environmentally friendly cleaning method, pulse laser cleaning machines have received more and more attention. Second, efficient cleaning technology can improve production efficiency, reduce operating costs, and meet the needs of enterprises for efficient production. Third, the development of laser technology has continuously improved the performance of laser cleaning equipment and expanded its application scope.

In China, the pulse laser cleaning machine market is also developing rapidly. With the continuous upgrading of the domestic manufacturing industry and the improvement of environmental protection requirements, the demand for pulse laser cleaning machines is also increasing. At present, the production capacity, output and sales volume of China's pulse laser cleaning machine market are increasing year by year.
The development status of the Chinese market is mainly reflected in the following aspects. First, domestic companies continue to increase their investment in research and development to improve product quality and technical level. For example, companies such as Han's Laser have achieved remarkable results in the field of pulse laser cleaning machines, and their products are highly competitive in the domestic market. Secondly, the government's support for the environmental protection industry has continued to increase, providing a good policy environment for the development of the pulse laser cleaning machine market. Furthermore, the rapid development of China's manufacturing industry has also provided a broad market space for the pulse laser cleaning machine market.

3.Working principle of pulse laser cleaning machine

The working principle of the pulse laser cleaning machine is based on the interaction between a high-energy laser beam and the surface of an object. When a high-energy laser beam instantly irradiates the surface of an object, the laser of a specific wavelength will be absorbed by the stain layer on the surface of the object, such as a rust layer, a paint layer, a pollution layer, etc. After these stain layers absorb the laser energy, a rapidly expanding plasma will be formed.
At the same time, the formation of plasma will generate a strong shock wave. The effect of the shock wave causes the contaminants to be broken into fragments and removed, thereby achieving the effect of cleaning the surface of the object. This cleaning method has significant advantages over traditional cleaning methods.
For example, for some complex-shaped object surfaces, traditional cleaning methods may be difficult to clean thoroughly, while the pulse laser cleaning machine can achieve comprehensive cleaning of complex surfaces by precisely controlling the irradiation angle and position of the laser beam. Moreover, due to the highly concentrated energy of the laser beam, stubborn stains can be effectively removed without damaging the surface of the object.
In addition, the pulse laser cleaning machine can clean the surfaces of a variety of materials, such as stainless steel, aluminum, copper, carbon fiber, ceramics, etc. Different types of contaminants, such as oil stains, rust, oxidation, glue layers, etc., can also be effectively removed. This is because different pollutants have different absorption characteristics for lasers of specific wavelengths. By adjusting the wavelength and energy of the laser, targeted cleaning of different pollutants can be achieved.

4.What are the application areas of pulse laser cleaning machines?

Industrial field

In the automotive industry, pulse laser cleaning machines play an important role. During the automobile manufacturing process, pollutants such as rust, paint, oxide layer and oil are easily generated on the surface of automobile wheels, brake pads, hoods, engines and other parts. Traditional cleaning processes cannot be automated, are time-consuming and pollute the environment. The pulse laser cleaning machine uses the principle that high-energy beams of a specific wavelength are absorbed by the rust layer, paint layer and pollution layer to form a rapidly expanding plasma, and at the same time generate shock waves to break the pollutants into fragments and remove them, thus realizing the functions of rust removal, paint removal, oxide layer removal and oil removal on the surface of various parts of the car. In addition, laser cleaning is very gentle, has no consumables, and does not damage the surface of the substrate, which can save companies a certain amount of labor costs and consumables costs every year. It can also be equipped with robots or tooling fixtures to use an automated method to clean the surface of the workpiece. The operation is simple and novices can learn to use it after simple training.
In the aerospace industry, when repairing and maintaining aircraft, it is necessary to remove the old paint on the surface. Traditional methods of cleaning the surface paint film, such as sandblasting or steel brush grinding, are prone to damage the metal surface of the aircraft, posing a hidden danger to safe flight. The use of pulsed laser cleaning systems, such as multiple laser cleaning systems, can completely remove the paint layer on the surface of an A320 Airbus within two days without damaging the metal surface. The cleaning principle is that the pulsed Nd:YAG laser cleaning process depends on the characteristics of the light pulse generated by the laser, based on the photophysical reaction caused by the interaction between the high-intensity beam, short-pulse laser and the contamination layer. When there is an oxide on the metal surface, plasma is generated on the metal surface. By adjusting the laser parameters, the energy density of the light pulse is strictly between two thresholds. Each laser pulse removes a certain thickness of the contamination layer. The number of pulses required to clean the surface depends on the degree of surface contamination. Effective cleaning is performed while ensuring the safety of the base material.
In the mechanical processing industry, mechanical equipment has been in service for a long time, and a large amount of oil, waste paint, rust and carbon deposits have accumulated on the surface of parts. The pulsed laser cleaning machine greatly improves the effect of removing carbon deposits and the quality of the welding process. It can efficiently remove carbon deposits on the surface of different substrates, reduce welding defects, and improve the weldability of materials; at the same time, it can also save the production cost of enterprises and improve the production efficiency of enterprises.

Cultural relics and antiques industry

In the field of cultural relic protection, the removal of the surface pollution layer and rust layer of cultural relics requires efficient, high-precision and safe cleaning technology. "Laser cleaning" provides a "high-efficiency, high-precision and safe" cleaning method for the cultural and museum field. Cultural relic cleaning mainly uses short-pulse laser vibration waves to scan the surface of the object, so that the surface soil, dirt, carbon deposits, metal rust, and the oxide layer of organic or inorganic impurities are crushed and vaporized. While removing the surface pollution layer/aging layer of the object, it ensures that the underlying substrate (the body of the cultural relic) is not damaged or peeled off. For the cleaning of cultural relics with stone substrates, infrared Nd:YAG lasers are generally used. The cleaning mechanism is mainly based on the force generated by light and matter to achieve the effect of removing surface pollutants. For paintings, shorter wavelength visible light or ultraviolet lasers are generally used for cleaning and protection. The cleaning mechanism is based on the cold ablation effect of breaking the bond, and its thermal impact is small or negligible, and will not cause thermal damage to the artwork itself.
In the food industry, laser cleaning machines are used in the food production industry to clean baking trays. CleanLASER provides a solution for cleaning baking trays and other "hot" surfaces used in the food production industry. Metal baking trays, molds and conveyors can all be laser-cleaned to quickly remove oil, grease and residue without leaving residue. Whether the material is stainless steel, iron or chrome-plated metal, and whether the shape is flat or textured, they are suitable for laser cleaning. Laser cleaning solutions are also designed to operate continuously in a high-temperature oven at 180°C during normal production, allowing laser cleaning of moving baking trays and other difficult-to-clean surfaces to be carried out during operation and maintain 100% clean production conditions; extending equipment operation time and reducing costs.

Non-contact and damage-free
The pulse laser cleaning machine uses non-contact cleaning technology, which means that during the cleaning process, the laser beam is directly irradiated onto the stain without physical contact with the surface of the object. Compared with traditional cleaning methods, such as using chemicals or rubbing the surface of the object, this non-contact cleaning method greatly reduces the risk of damage to the surface of the object.
Traditional cleaning methods may cause material wear, scratches or damage, especially for some fragile materials or precision parts. The pulse laser cleaning machine can accurately clean the target area, avoiding any potential damage and protecting the integrity and value of the object.
For example, in the electronic semiconductor industry, the surfaces of various components, circuit boards, and optical devices need to be cleaned. These parts are usually very delicate and extremely sensitive to surface damage. Using a pulse laser cleaning machine, dirt and contaminants on the surface can be removed efficiently without contacting the surface of the object, ensuring the performance and reliability of these precision parts.

Efficient of laser cleaning machine

The pulse laser cleaning machine has efficient cleaning capabilities and the cleaning process is very fast. In just a few seconds, stubborn stains can be completely removed, making the surface of the cleaned object look brand new.
This efficient cleaning ability greatly improves work efficiency. In industrial production, time is money, and efficient cleaning equipment can shorten the production cycle and improve the overall efficiency of the production line.
For example, in the automotive manufacturing industry, the pulse laser cleaning machine can quickly remove pollutants such as oil, rust and paint on the surface of automotive parts, saving a lot of time for subsequent processing procedures. Compared with traditional cleaning methods such as chemical cleaning or manual polishing, the cleaning speed of the pulse laser cleaning machine can be increased by several times or even dozens of times.

Environmental protection and energy saving
The pulse laser cleaning machine has the remarkable characteristics of environmental protection and energy saving. First of all, it does not need to use any chemicals or detergents, which reduces the pollution to the environment. In traditional cleaning methods, the use of chemicals may cause problems such as wastewater discharge, soil pollution and air pollution. The pulse laser cleaning machine only relies on high-energy laser beams for cleaning, does not produce any chemical waste, and is very friendly to the environment.
Secondly, the pulse laser cleaning machine has low energy consumption. Compared with traditional cleaning equipment, it does not require a large amount of water resources and electricity. During the cleaning process, only electrical energy is consumed to generate the laser beam, and the energy of the laser beam can be highly concentrated in the target area, achieving efficient cleaning while reducing energy consumption.
For example, according to statistics, when a pulse laser cleaning machine cleans the surface of an object of the same area, the energy consumption is only a fraction of that of traditional cleaning equipment or even lower. This not only reduces the cost of the cleaning process, but also meets the requirements of modern society for energy conservation and environmental protection.

Future development trend of pulse laser cleaning machine

(I) Intelligent trend
With the continuous advancement of science and technology, pulse laser cleaning machine will develop in the direction of intelligence in the future. On the one hand, through the combination of automatic control system and machine vision technology, the equipment can automatically identify objects of different shapes and materials, as well as the type and degree of stains on the surface, so as to automatically adjust the laser parameters and realize the intelligent cleaning process. For example, in the field of automobile manufacturing, when the laser cleaning machine faces different models of automobile parts, it can quickly and accurately identify and adjust the cleaning scheme to improve the cleaning efficiency and quality.
On the other hand, the intelligent pulse laser cleaning machine can also realize remote monitoring and operation. The operator can remotely control the operating status of the equipment through the Internet, monitor the various parameters in the cleaning process in real time, and perform remote fault diagnosis and troubleshooting. This not only improves the convenience of work, but also reduces labor costs and operational risks. According to relevant data, it is expected that in the next few years, the market share of intelligent pulse laser cleaning machines will gradually expand and occupy a dominant position in the industry.

(II) Refined trend
In the future, pulse laser cleaning machines will pay more attention to the improvement of cleaning accuracy. With the continuous improvement of product quality requirements in the manufacturing industry, especially in high-precision fields such as aerospace, electronic semiconductors, etc., the requirements for cleaning accuracy are extremely strict. Pulse laser cleaning machines will achieve precise cleaning of tiny stains, reduce thermal effects on substrates, and avoid deformation and discoloration of substrates by continuously optimizing laser beam focusing technology and energy control technology.
For example, in the process of electronic chip manufacturing, tiny contaminants on the surface of the chip may affect the performance and reliability of the chip. Refined pulse laser cleaning machines can accurately remove these tiny contaminants without causing any damage to the chip. At the same time, refined cleaning can also expand the application range of pulse laser cleaning machines and meet the cleaning needs of more special fields.

(III) Multifunctional trend
In the future, pulse laser cleaning machines will no longer be limited to a single cleaning function, but will develop in a multifunctional direction. In addition to the cleaning function, the equipment can also integrate other functions, such as surface detection, coating removal and repair, and material modification. For example, during the cleaning process, the equipment can simultaneously detect the surface of the object, promptly detect surface defects and problems, and perform corresponding treatments.
In addition, pulse laser cleaning machines can also be combined with other advanced manufacturing technologies, such as 3D printing, laser welding, etc., to achieve an integrated manufacturing and processing process. This multifunctional development trend will provide users with a more comprehensive solution and improve the added value and market competitiveness of the equipment.
In short, as an advanced cleaning equipment, pulse laser cleaning machine has broad development prospects in the future. With the continuous advancement of the trend of intelligence, refinement and multi-function, pulse laser cleaning machine will play a more important role in various fields and make greater contributions to promoting the development of manufacturing industry and environmental protection.