Portable Laser Coating Removal System for GSE and Orbiter

Georg Heidelmann

adapt laser systems LLC 1627 W 31 St Kansas City, MO 64108 www.adapt-laser.com

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adapt laser systems

adapt laser systems is the exclusive service and support partner for CLEAN Lasersysteme and TEKA Fume Extractors in North America. - Local Repair Services - Maintenance Programs - Application Research Programs - Laser Rental & Demos - Sale and Service of high performance Fume Extractors for laser applications

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Operating principle

I
9,000 Hz

Coating layer is removed by absorbing the focussed laser power Very powerful but short laser pulses (with up to 450kW peak power) cause very little thermal influence on the substrate Metal substrate reflects laser radiation, removal process stops Metals can not be damaged or melted with the correct laser parameter Two physical effects:
Coating layer is vaporised (ablation by sublimation) Ablation by thermally induced pressure

30,000 Hz

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Ablation strategy scan and move

up to 50,000 pulses per second line-shaped beam deflection adjustable scan parameters
Ablation strategy bx Vv dx dy

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Productivity
Rule of Thumb: The darker and thinner the contamination or paint, the easier it is to remove.

- Color, chemical composition and thickness of the target layer have a direct impact on the effectiveness of the process.

Automated On-Line Cleaning of Baking Plates in Conveyor Ovens

- Often only on-site tests can determine the effectiveness.

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Mold-cleaning with CL 500 Q

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Ultra-Mobile Laser Cleaning System CL 20 QF

Technology
Super mobile pulsed fiber laser up to 20 W
Laser class 4 Battery operated (or 110V) Great beam quality Independent and mobile Compact dimensions (14 in. x 16 in. x 5 in.) Light weight (45 lbs.)

$ 65,000

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Mobile Laser Cleaning System CL 120 Q

Technology
Powerful fiber coupled solid-state laser up to 120 W
Lamp pumped Laser class 4 Peak Power of 160 kW Independent and mobile Integrated compressor cooling system Compact dimensions (32 in. x 24.5 in. x 32.5 in.) $ 140,000

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Mobile Laser Cleaning System CL 150 / 300 Q

Technology
Powerful fiber coupled solid-state laser 150 or 300 W
Diode pumped Laser class 4 Peak Power of 290 kW Independent and mobile Integrated compressor cooling system Compact dimensions (50 in. x 30 in. x 46 in.) $ 149,000 (CL 150Q)

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Mobile high power laser system CL 500 / 1000 Q

Technology Fiber coupled Nd:YAG laser system Up to 1,000 W average power Very powerful mobile cleaning laser Peak Power of up to 800 kW Up to 16 times the production rates of the CL 120 Q Air or water cooled Compact dimensions (50 in. x 30 in. x 48 in.) Especially designed for paint stripping applications $ 340,000 (CL 500Q)
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Optical Tools
Standard Handheld Optics Light plastic casing Up to 2 or 3 in. beam width Integrated Suction channel Various nozzle attachments Integrated controls for all laser functions

Motorized nozzle Constant forward speed for optimized results and lowest heat effect Adjustable speed Adjustable nozzle angle Increases productivity by up to 50 %

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Optical Tools
Laser Stylus The ultra compact Laser Stylus was developed for the US Air Force Integrated scanning technology Beam width of up to 1 in. Various focal distances available Ultra light
Robot Attachment Various air or water-cooled optics with integrated robot attachment

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Industry Leader for mobile Laser Surface Preparation Technology

Proven industrial grade laser technology Over 90 lasers installed worldwide Over 20 installed in the US Designed for automotive Customers Low maintenance High reliability Aerospace Customers: US Air Force US Army EADS Airbus German Luftwaffe

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Paint-stripping for maintenance

coating removal without damaging the surface suitable for small to medium size areas with hand-held optics hard to reach or sensitive areas supplemental technology to existing methods Large Scale Laser PMB Chemical Stripping large scale applications with robots (3x 1000 W) clean and versatile de-coating technology no residues, no damage to surrounding areas short set-up times

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Manual Paint-Stripping with CL 500 Q High-Power Laser

Primer: MIL-P-23377G Top-coat: MIL-PRF-85285 Total thickness: 3 mil Substrate: AL 2024T-3 AL clad

Typical strip rate: 1.2 ft/min/mil. @ 500 Watts cw

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Selective paint-stripping
Selective coating removal with semi automated ablation Full corrosion protection Problem: Variations in thickness Overlap damage to the conversion coating

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Space Shuttle - Coating removal

Orbiter
Removal of coating from below the heat shield tiles on the under body. Precise removal of the coating without damage to the surrounding tiles or the substrate.

Main laser advantages: - No residue - No damage to substrate - controllable and precise

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NASA Koropon removal of Orbiter sample without damaging the Anodizing

Removal of Coating under heat tiles for inspection of aluminum corrosion with 120 W laser and 2-D scanner

Anodized aluminum / Koropon (0.85 mils) De-coated with CL120 Q-switched laser SEM pictures - 500X

Anodized control

Coating could be removed completely without damaging the anodizing

Section 2 after koropon removal Section 3 after koropon removal 30 khertz 3000 mm/s 30 kHz 3000 mm/s no conductance no conductance
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Precise paint-stripping
Replacement of masking

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CrVI removal under new OSHA Limits

Laser Paint Removal of CrVI containing Coatings
New OSHA PEL Limit of 0.5 m/m3 CrVI can be found on various items, not limited to Aircraft Laser (with proper fume extractor) can significantly reduce CrVI exposure and volume of hazardous waste Laser vaporizes coating, minimum residue CrVI is a particle and will be eliminated in the HEPA filter High airflow and volume filter units necessary

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Cleaning and roughening of metal or plastic parts as a pre-treatment for gluing

Oxide and grease free surfaces for perfectly bonded joints Micro-structuring, if desired Good long-term qualities Wet chemical cleaning unnecessary
GE 90 Turbine

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Roughening of composite material for coating applications

Adjustable degrees of surface roughness No damage to the fibers Best adhesion quality for coatings, bonding or thermal spraying

0.1 in.
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Mobile Marking with 20 W Fiberlaser

Mobile Marking System
20 W battery operated fiberlaser 2-D Scan optic very high beam quality Data-Matrix or bitmap functions available up to 300 dpi Ultra-light laptop with scanning software Ability to engrave directly at the object (Tools, parts, large components, etc.)

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Laser Safety: Curtaining off the enlarged working area

Mobile laser curtain system to protec from direct and indirect radiation Shielding (curtain and goggles) must be adequate to the type of laser being used (wavelength, radiation parameters) Filter Units with HEPA and Gas filter for particle extraction

Special laser safety goggles must be worn

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Advantages of laser cleaning technology

Low operating costs (~2.5 US$ per hour) large cost saving potential No blasting material / no chemicals / no noise /
no dust / no residue

Consistent quality Precise selective de-coating No damage to metal parts Very short set up time Affordable invest (basic equipment starts at 140,000 US$) Low maintenance , high reliability Deployable
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RELEASED - Printed documents may be obsolete; validate prior to use.

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