How does laser mold cleaning work
Laser cleaning — also known as laser ablation — uses thousands of laser pulses per second to absorb contaminants and remove them from the foundation of your product(s) without damaging the substrate. With no additional waste and little to no risk when used properly. Laser cleaning doesn’t degrade itself or your product — making it a cost-effective solution for cleaning metal and non-metals alike.
What are the benefits of laser mold cleaning?
Laser cleaning for molds has several benefits. The most common include:
- Removing contaminants without damaging the surrounding machinery or equipment
- Easy setup and operation
- Suitable for all metallic mold types
- Cost-effective with very low operating costs
- Environmentally friendly
Laser Cleaning Composite Mold
It can be difficult to remove stubborn mold-release agents, product residues — such as oxides and grease — without damaging the substrate of your product. But, failing to remove these contaminants can cause your disruptions to your process and create pockets of inefficiencies — or worse — incorrect part geometries.
Laser cleaning not only removes your contaminants, but it also preserves the integrity of your product — expanding its lifespan in the process. Laser ablation uses thousands of focused laser pulses per second to absorb and remove surface contaminants safely.
What are the benefits of laser cleaning
Not only is laser cleaning safer for your composite part molds, but it’s also safer for your operators and the environment. Unlike media blasting options, laser cleaning requires minimal safety precautions. Proper training, protective eyewear, and a designated hazard zone are all that’s needed to prevent the majority of — if not all — risks. Plus, laser cleaning produces no additional waste and doesn’t require secondary cleanup, making it a more environmentally-conscious option. Our laser solutions are also:
- Easy to set up and operate
- Suitable for all metallic mold types
- Handheld operation
- Cost-effective
- Consistent and offer repeatable results
- Clean and green — using no abrasives, chemicals, or secondary waste
What can be cleaned?
Our laser can clean composite mold providing a complete release agent removal after processing. This includes removing adhesive tapes and other residues. We can also remove all contaminants — including dark process residues that are difficult to remove with other cleaning options.
Where is it applicable?
Our lasers are perfectly designed for flat and 3D-shaped molds and tools without undercuts. That’s because our lasers work best on parts you can see with the naked eye. We can also clean metal-based molds for Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer Production — especially those made of nickel, aluminum, and steel. From mold sizes of 0.1 to 100m2 surface areas.
What are the limitations?
As with any media cleaning options, the laser aren’t ideal for every scenario. Our laser aren’t effective for plastics or CFRP-based mold substrates. Anything with holes, undercuts, deep and narrow grooves, or other elements that are difficult to see with the naked eye or also not suitable. Due to the nature of restrictions of our lasers, you should also consider other options for molds that have transparent or unprocessed release agents, or ATEX/explosive atmosphere areas.
Injection Mold Cleaning
Laser mold cleaning is a superior way to clean and sterilise molds, since it allows you to clean your molds directly at the source — without having to disassemble parts, wasted time in transit, or adding the risk for damage. In addition, if we have a large enough opening, cleaning can be done at operating temperatures which means there is no required cool-down period. This minimizes downtime and allows your operations to continue without delay.