Laser cleaning technology refers to the very efficient process of using high-energy laser beam to clean the surface of workpiece by instantly peeling off and/or evaporating the dirt, rust spots or coating. It is a new technology based on the interaction between laser and substance.
Ultrasonic cleaning is the process of using the AC signals emitted by the ultrasonic generator for cleaning purpose. The mechanism is that the singles are converted into AC mechanical oscillation by the transducer and transmitted to the medium, so as to generate "bubbles" that will collapse. When reach a state to cause collapses on the surface of the washed object, "cavitation" produces an impact force far more than 1,000 times greater than the atmospheric pressure, dispersing, breaking down and peeling off the dirt on the surface or in the hole and gap of the object, so that the object can be purified and cleaned.
The difference between laser cleaning and ultrasonic cleaning lies in that laser cleaning is very convenient: objects can be cleaned directly without any medium, and the efficiency is high in either cleaning a large area or a precision part at a wide ambient temperature range from -10 to 50 ℃. In contrast, ultrasonic cleaning requires a cleaning agent, and can clean only small workpiece, incapable of removing coating or submicron particles. Increased ultrasonic generator power density can enhance the cavitation effect and cleaning efficiency. However, for precision objects with a high surface finish, cleaning with a high power density for a long time will result in cavitation and corrosion on the surface of the objects.
Compared with traditional cleaning methods such as ultrasonic cleaning and chemical-corrosion cleaning, laser cleaning has obvious advantages: it is efficient and economical, and produces low heat and mechanical loads on the substrate, thus achieving damage-free cleaning; it causes no harm to the health of operators; automatic and remote control of the cleaning process is easy to achieve.
