Laser cleaning explained
How laser cleaning works
Laser cleaning uses a high-powered industrial laser to remove rust, paint, coatings, grease and other contaminants from a surface without damaging the material underneath. If you've never seen it, think of it like sandblasting, but not as aggressive and with no mess: no blast media, no chemicals and no water.
The process, step by step
Light in.
Rust out.
- 01
The laser hits the surface
A focused beam of light is swept across the surface in fast, controlled passes from a lightweight handheld head.
- 02
The contaminant lifts away
Rust, paint, grease and grime absorb the laser energy and vaporise or break away from the surface. This is called laser ablation.
- 03
The material underneath stays intact
The base material is left clean and undamaged. Settings are tuned to each job to avoid heat damage, pitting or warping.
- 04
Fumes are captured
A HEPA fume extractor captures what comes off. Paint removal can leave a light residue that simply blows away.
What's left behind
Very little. The contaminant is vaporised or lifted off and captured by the fume extractor, so there's no pile of blast media or chemical waste to deal with. Paint removal can leave a light residue that simply blows away.
Finishes we can leave
- Bright bare metal
- Matte finish
- Weld-ready
- Paint-ready
Because nothing gets trapped in threads, ports, seals or internals, laser cleaning is ideal for hydraulic components, diffs, gearboxes and other machine parts.
Our laser cleaning equipment
Two lasers.
Every job covered.
Pulsed laser for precision work
- Fine detail, thin coatings and delicate parts
- Portable: carried up stairs and onto boats
- 5 m lead from the unit to the cleaning head
- Ideal for components, restorations and marine work
Continuous wave laser for heavy work
- Heavy rust, thick paint and big surfaces
- Usually removes heavy coatings in one pass
- Runs from the trailer with a 20 m lead
- Can roughly halve cleaning time on comparable heavy-duty jobs
- Up to ~300 mmAdjustable cleaning width
- ~1.8 kgHandheld cleaning head
- 20 to 35 m² / hrOn light rust and thin paint
- Class 4Industrial lasers
- 240V or 415V15A single phase or 32A 5-pin three phase
- HEPAFume extraction on every job
Laser cleaning vs sandblasting and manual prep
No grit.
No grinder.
Laser cleaning is a cleaner, more precise alternative to sandblasting, grinding, wire brushing and chemical stripping. It's non-contact and non-abrasive, so there's no blast media to contain or clean out of your parts. Here's how it stacks up.
| Laser cleaning | Sandblasting | Grinding and wire brushing | Chemical stripping | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time on the job | Fast, even on detailed parts | Fast on big areas, but slow to set up, mask and clean up | Hours of hand work | Slow, needs dwell time and re-coats |
| Mess and clean-up | Minimal. Fume extractor captures what comes off | Blast media everywhere. Needs containment and clean-up | Dust, debris and wire fragments | Chemical waste to dispose of |
| Left in your parts | Nothing | Grit can lodge in threads, ports, seals and internals | Grit and wire fragments | Residue to wash off |
| Precision | Very high. Detail and part numbers kept | Low. Can wipe out fine detail and part numbers | Low. Easy to remove good metal | Medium |
| Effect on base material | Settings tuned to avoid damage | Abrasive. Removes base material and changes the surface profile | Removes material and leaves marks | Can attack some materials |
| Hard-to-reach areas | Gets into corners and recesses | Good, but media gets trapped | Hard to reach | Good, but slow |
| Disassembly and masking | Often cleaned in place | Usually needs parts stripped and masked | Some | Some masking |
| Chemicals | None | None, but spent media to dispose of | None | Yes |
What we need on site
We bring
the laser.
Power
240V single phase (15A) or 415V three phase (32A 5-pin). No power on site? A generator can be supplied at extra cost.
Access
Clear access to the item, or bring it to us. Smaller parts can be collected and returned.
A work zone
Room to set up a cordoned work area with laser safety screens and signage, sized to the job.
Dry weather
The equipment can't run in the rain, so outdoor jobs are weather dependent. We'll reschedule if the weather turns.
Every job is run with a cordoned work zone, laser safety screens, danger tape and signage, laser safety glasses, a deadman switch, HEPA fume extraction and tagged and tested gear. About us & safety
Laser cleaning questions and answers
Frequently asked
questions.
Still not sure if laser cleaning suits your job? Send us a photo and we'll tell you straight.
Do you come to me?
Yes. Prime Laser Solutions is fully mobile. Bigger jobs are done on site, and smaller parts can be collected and returned. We're based in Proserpine and work across the Whitsundays, Mackay, the Bowen Basin and North Queensland.
Will laser cleaning damage the metal?
No. Settings are tuned to each job and surface to avoid heat damage, pitting or warping. The laser removes the rust, paint or grime and preserves part numbers, serial numbers and cast lettering, protecting the underlying substrate.
Is laser cleaning better than sandblasting?
For a lot of jobs, yes. Laser cleaning strips a surface back like sandblasting, but it's non-abrasive, so it doesn't eat into the base material or wipe out part numbers. There's no blast media to contain, clean up or get trapped in threads, seals and internals, and parts can often be cleaned in place without stripping and masking.
What can laser cleaning remove?
Rust, corrosion, paint, coatings, grease, oil, carbon, antifoul, marine growth, graffiti, soot and mould. It works on steel, stainless, aluminium, cast iron, brass, chrome, fibreglass, timber, stone, brick, concrete and some plastics.
How long does laser cleaning take?
Cleaning time depends on the component, the type of contamination, and how heavily it is built up. As a guide, a dump truck differential centre took approximately 2.5 hours to clean using our 500 W laser. On comparable heavy-duty jobs, our 3,000 W laser can reduce cleaning time by roughly half, depending on the condition of the component.
What finish does it leave?
Depending on the settings, laser cleaning can leave bright bare metal, a matte finish, or a weld-ready or paint-ready surface.
Can you laser clean in the rain?
No. The equipment can't run in the rain, so outdoor jobs are weather dependent. We'll reschedule if the weather turns.
What do you need on site?
Power (240V single phase 15A or 415V three phase 32A), access to the item, and room to set up a cordoned work area. If there's no power, a generator can be supplied at extra cost.
Is laser cleaning safe?
Yes, when it's done properly. Every job has a cordoned work zone with laser safety screens and signage, laser safety glasses, a deadman switch on the laser, HEPA fume extraction and tagged and tested equipment. SWMS and JSA are supplied for business customers.
Do you offer free demos?
Yes. We offer free short demos for larger jobs, so you can see the result before you commit.
How do I get a quote?
Send a photo of the job through our contact page with your location and rough size, or call us on 0436 010 447. We usually reply the next day.
Get a laser cleaning quote
Advanced
laser cleaning.
The future of surface cleaning is here.
0436 010 447