Watch "World's First Laser Rust Remover" on YouTube

[agg221]

I wonder how they cope with paint?

 

I presume they are simply accelerating oxidisation? in the same way as gas cutting.

 

Blasting is good because it removes paint etc, if this just removes the rust but leaves manky paint on you're not much nearer really.

 

It isn't oxidation, and they cope very well with paint. We have been developing a system for stripping the inner layer of concrete from nuclear power station chimneys during decommissioning - [ame]

[/ame] from 7:30. It's a very high intensity burst of energy which, depending on the power, either instantly boils the surface causing it to evaporate away, or at lower powers is absorbed, causing the surface material to expand and 'ping' off if it is different to the substrate. With concrete, it boils water trapped subsurface and you can tune the depth.

 

Alec