Stop paying twice: once to remove rust, again to repair the substrate sandblasting eroded. Our pulsed fiber laser vaporizes rust, scale, and oxide to bare metal without any contact with the surface underneath.
Sandblasting removes rust, but it also removes base metal. Every pass erodes the substrate, changes tolerances, and creates surface pitting that traps moisture and accelerates re-rusting. On precision components, this dimensional change is unacceptable. On structural steel, the pitting creates stress concentrators that weaken the member.
Manual grinding is slower (5-10 sq ft/hour vs. 50 sq ft/hour for laser) and creates sparks that are prohibited near fuel systems, in refineries, and in confined spaces. The vibration causes operator fatigue and injury. The noise exceeds 85 dB, triggering OSHA hearing protection requirements.
Chemical rust removers require hours of dwell time, generate hazardous liquid waste, and leave residue that interferes with subsequent coating adhesion. On large surfaces (structural steel, ship hulls, industrial equipment), the labor cost of applying and removing chemicals exceeds the cost of laser cleaning.
Strip heavy rust at up to 50 sq ft per hour. Hand-grinding covers 5-10 sq ft/hr with substrate damage. Chemical stripping requires hours of dwell time before cleaning even begins.
No blast media to purchase, contain, or dispose of. No hazardous waste manifests. No TCLP testing fees. The vaporized rust is captured in a HEPA filter cartridge weighing ounces, not tons.
Our pulsed fiber laser emits nanosecond bursts of infrared light tuned to the absorption wavelength of iron oxide. The rust absorbs this energy and vaporizes instantly into a fine dust captured by our HEPA filtration system. The base metal reflects the laser energy and remains untouched.
We adjust pulse frequency, power density, and scan speed for each substrate and rust grade. Light flash rust on stainless steel requires different parameters than heavy scale on cast iron. This calibration is what separates professional laser cleaning from the consumer-grade units sold online.
Throughput on Grade B rust (per ISO 8501-1) ranges from 20-50 sq ft per hour depending on laser power class. Our systems handle everything from spot cleaning a single weld joint to processing thousands of square feet of structural steel per day.
Laser removes rust at 20-50 sq ft per hour depending on rust severity and laser power. Sandblasting is comparable in speed but requires containment setup, media purchase, and post-job cleanup that add hours to the total project time. Manual grinding covers 5-10 sq ft per hour.
No. The laser is tuned to the absorption wavelength of iron oxide. The base metal (steel, aluminum, cast iron) reflects the laser energy and remains dimensionally unchanged. This is verified by surface profilometry before and after cleaning.
All grades per ISO 8501-1: Grade A (mill scale), Grade B (rusting mill scale), Grade C (rusted with pitting), and Grade D (rusted with visible pitting and grooving). We also remove flash rust, weld discoloration, and heat-affected zone oxides.
Yes. Laser cleaning produces no sparks and no open flame. It is safe for use in refineries, fuel tank interiors, and confined spaces where sandblasting and grinding are prohibited. OSHA Class 4 laser safety protocols apply, which require enclosures and IR-filtering goggles but no respiratory protection.