Aircraft need to be overhauled every five years or so. The paint remover method used now pollutes the environment, harms the health of the operators, and is also expensive. During the maintenance of the aircraft, the paint on the surface of the plane must be removed, and the surface of the aircraft skin must be inspected for corrosion defects and fatigue cracks to avoid flight accidents. Laser cleaning technology basically does not cause damage to the substrate.
Traditional paint removal processes include mechanical cleaning, ultrasonic cleaning, and chemical cleaning. Although the above cleaning technologies are relatively mature, there are still many shortcomings. For example, the cleaning method of mechanical grinding is very easy to damage the matrix material, the method of chemical cleaning will pollute the environment, and the size of the workpiece limits the method of ultrasonic cleaning, and it is not easy to clean the large-size parts.
Laser peeling of aircraft skin is one of the most promising applications of laser cleaning technology. Especially in Europe, laser cleaning technology has been successfully applied in some fields, such as cultural relics protection. There are already many laser companies in Germany, Italy, France, etc., that specialize in the production of laser cleaning equipment.
Laser cleaning technology uses high-energy laser beams to irradiate the surface of the workpiece. The attachments or coatings on the surface can be evaporated or peeled off instantly to achieve a clean process.
The laser cleaning machine can also be operated automatically. Because of its maintenance-free, easy installation, no consumables, auto-focusing and surface cleaning, and high cleanliness of the cleaning surface, it can remove impurities such as resin, oil, and stains on the object’s surface. It has a one-time investment—features of lifetime use, low cost, and easy operation.
