Pulsed laser cleaners and continuous laser cleaners are two common types of laser cleaning equipment, and there are a number of differences between them in terms of principle, application range, cleaning effect, equipment cost, and operation. These differences will be analyzed below and a detailed comparison of the two cleaning methods will be made.
Difference in principle
Pulsed laser cleaning machine: Pulsed laser cleaning machine utilizes high-energy, high-frequency pulsed laser beams to instantly heat and cool the surface of objects, forming instantaneous temperature gradients and thermal stresses, so that pollutants and thin layers of coverings are dislodged from the surface. The principle is to produce high temperature and high pressure instantly through the brief, high-energy irradiation of laser pulses, which rapidly vaporizes or smashes the pollutants and achieves the cleaning effect.
Continuous laser cleaning: Continuous laser cleaning is the continuous emission of laser beams to heat the surface of the object to realize the cleaning effect. Continuous laser is characterized by a continuous and stable output of energy and tends to clean the object’s surface more gently.
Differences in the range of applications
Pulsed Laser Cleaners: Pulsed laser cleaners are widely used in various industries such as automotive manufacturing, electronic equipment, aerospace, semiconductor processing etc. It can be used to remove a variety of contaminants such as paint, oxides, welding slag, and so on. Since pulsed laser cleaning is characterized by high energy and short action time, it is suitable for cleaning objects with high surface requirements.
Continuous laser cleaning: Continuous laser cleaning has some applications in the fields of medical equipment sterilization and paper cleaning. Compared with the pulsed laser, the continuous laser has lower energy and is more suitable for objects that need a continuous heating effect.
Difference three: comparison of cleaning effect
Pulsed laser cleaning machine: A pulsed laser cleaning machine can produce instantaneous high temperature and high pressure, effectively remove the pollutants on the surface of the object, and have a better cleaning effect. Since the pulse laser cleaning machine has less impact on the substrate, it can clean all kinds of surfaces more safely.
Continuous laser cleaning: Due to the lower temperature of continuous laser, the cleaning effect is relatively weak and cannot deal with fragile or easily melted materials. However, continuous laser cleaning is usually effective in cleaning some rougher surfaces.
Separation of equipment cost and operation
Pulsed laser cleaner: Pulsed laser cleaner usually requires higher equipment cost, because it can do zero damage to the collection, suitable for cleaning products with high requirements on the surface of the substrate. At the same time, the operator needs to have certain professional knowledge and skills to ensure safe operation.
Continuous laser cleaners: Compared to pulsed laser cleaners, continuous laser cleaners have lower equipment costs and are suitable for large-scale industrial cleaning needs.