Can laser replace sandblasting?

We often encounter this question to replace an existing sandblasting activity. In 80% of the cases, we cannot! Why? A traditional free manual blasting cabinet can handle multi-span-off part dimensions without problems. The mobile laser can also clean many parts but cannot be compared to laser cleaning. The 2,5 m2/hr speed of stripping a paint layer PU 300 µm is too slow compared with a sandblaster at 6-8 m2/hr. The sandblaster is outrunning the laser cleaning system in most cases. If you have dedicated requirements, the laser cleaning can crawl back into the game. You have a single part to be treated in an automated process, and you get everything you want. You can get the same result on every part, you can have an inline quality tracing system, your process can run on start/stop intervals, and you get the smallest carbon footprint on energy level and lowest waste stream.

So yes, laser cleaning will pay itself back numerous times compared to sandblasting in this case. This is the most challenging point for traditional industry to cope with. Integrating laser cleaning demands apparent choices in your process thinking. But in today's industrial world, new big constraints are product quality and slim energy-based processes with low environmental impact.