Differences between lasers with different pulse energies and tips of cleaning paint on wood

Please note: We should always wear a mask with an activated carbon filter during cleaning.

Conventional fiber optic pulsed laser cleaners are usually equipped with three different types of lasers:

Model A, with a maximum single pulse energy of 1.5-2 mj and a fiber core diameter of about 25um.
Model B with a maximum single pulse energy of 5 mj and a fiber core diameter of about 50 um.
Mode C. Maximum single pulse energy 15 mj, fiber core diameter is usually about 100 um.

The cross-sectional area of the fiber is one of the determining factors of the spot size of the laser on the surface of the workpiece. They are not exactly proportional, but basically close. By calculation, we can get:
Model A has the highest energy density of the laser spot, model B has the middle energy density of the laser, and model C has the lowest energy density.

Due to the different energy densities, the penetration ability of different laser beams when cleaning workpieces at conventional speeds:
A>B>C

Therefore：

When we clean the common attachments on ordinary metal workpieces, such as the oxide layer on the surface of aluminum or stains, rust, paint on metal workpieces.
A, B and C are all Ok.

When we need to clean precision workpieces with high efficiency without harming the substrate, the three lasers match in order:
C>B>A

When we need to clean the high melting point attachment on the workpiece (relatively rare), the three lasers match degree ranking:
A>B>C

When we need to clean paint on metal
A, B, C are all Ok and can clean all kind of paint.

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When we need to clean paint on wood
A, B, C are all Ok. But some of the paint can't be cleaned without breaking the wood.

After our actual test:

• When cleaning paint on wood, the three kinds of excitation energy laser basically achieve the same effect, that is to say, the core diameter does not have a direct impact on this work.
• We selected several different paints, the type of paint also has no direct impact on whether it can be cleaned.
• The qualitative factor is the color of the paint, some colors of paint can be cleaned with pulsed lasers, some colors of paint can not be cleaned with pulsed lasers, Please see the videos below:

Black paint can be removed with fiber pulsed laser.

Rusty Red paint can be removed with fiber pulsed laser.

Light Gray paint can be removed with fiber pulsed laser.

Gray paint can be removed with fiber pulsed laser.

Dusty Yellow paint can be removed with fiber pulsed laser.

Dark BLue paint can be removed with fiber pulsed laser.

Dusty Pink paint can be removed with fiber pulsed laser.

Green paint can be removed with fiber pulsed laser, but the wood will burn slightly, which means that the green paint on the wood is not particularly suitable for cleaning with a pulse fiber laser. In special cases, such as when we do not require a high degree of fineness in the substrate, it is also possible to use a pulsed laser for cleaning.

Brown varnish looks like it can be cleaned with a pulsed laser, but in reality after cleaning the darker pigments there is still a sticky and transparent layer of varnish material adhering to the wood, which is not suitable for cleaning with a pulsed laser.

Dark Green paint can be removed with fiber pulsed laser.

Pink paint can be removed with fiber pulsed laser.

Red paint can be removed with fiber pulsed laser.

Varnish paint can be removed with fiber pulsed laser.

Pure white paint can be removed with fiber pulsed laser.

Yellow paint can be removed with fiber pulsed laser.