Laser-based system and method for stripping coatings from substrates
AssigneeClover Industries, Inc.
InventorRonald J. Ranalli
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A laser-based system and method for stripping a coating from a substrate includes laser apparatus for heating and partially ablating the coating and pressurized gas apparatus for directing a blast of high velocity chilled gas against the heated coating to shatter and strip the coating from the substrate. In one application, the laser-based coating stripping system and method of the present invention is used to strip paint from aluminum aircraft bodies.
Claims15
A system for stripping a coating from a substrate, said system characterized by;
- laser apparatus operative to direct a laser beam on the coating to be stripped in a manner to cause rapid heating and partial ablation thereof;
- pressurized gas apparatus operative to direct a blast of gas against the heated and partially ablated coating;
- said blast of gas having below ambient temperature and sufficiently high velocity to cause the coating to shatter and strip away from the substrate:
- said gas apparatus including at least one nozzle for directing said blast of gas against the coating and the substrate at an angle oblique to the coating;
- and
- said nozzle being a venturi for generating a vortex flow of gas and splitting said flow of gas into a superheated component directed away from the coating and substrate and a superchilled component of gas directed at the coating and the substrate.
A method for stripping a coating from a substrate, said method including the steps of:
- applying a de-focused laser beam to the coating to cause heating of the coating in a manner to cause at least partial ablation thereof;
- and
- directing a blast of gas through a venturi of a nozzle against the coating and the substrate at an angle oblique to the coating to shatter and strip the coating from the substrate whereby the venturi generates a vortex flow of gas splitting the flow of gas into a superheated component directed away from the coating and substrate and a superchilled component of gas directed at the coating and the substrate.
An apparatus for stripping a coating from a substrate comprising:
- (a) a laser apparatus for generating a laser beam;
- (b) a pressurized gas apparatus including a nozzle having a venturi for directing a blast of gas;
- (c) means for directing the laser beam from said laser apparatus through said nozzle and venturi on the coating to be stripped to cause rapid heating and partial ablation thereof;
- and
- (d) means for directing the blast of gas from said pressurized gas apparatus through said nozzle and venturi against the heated and partially ablated coating and the substrate to cause the coating to shatter and strip away from the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.