Uncontrolled corrosion can devastate petroleum pipeline metals, oilfield equipment, gas processing units, and refineries, risking leakage or rupture from pipes, valves, reservoirs, and other special equipment. The direct cost of corrosion includes a loss of materials, equipment, and production, plus the cost of repair, maintenance, and replacement. Additional losses can result from accidents, injuries, and even loss of life as well as payments to repair environmental damage.
Although there are alternatives for remedying these issues, one of the easiest to use and most effective alternatives in the war against corrosion is the increasingly important category of industrial-grade, clean technology lasers. With this approach, precision laser-based systems are used to remove corrosion, contaminants, paint, and residues with a high-energy laser beam that leaves the substrate unaffected. The technology also facilitates proper pre-weld and post-weld treatment, which helps to ensure strong, lasting welds as well as more reliable production.
Preparation and cleanup time are minimal, and the low-maintenance equipment can last decades. The technology minimizes operator exposure to potential environmental health hazards. In addition, no consumables are necessary.
“With laser-based systems, an operator simply points and clicks a high-energy laser beam at the surface. The substrate is not affected by the laser, and the systems do not create any mess or byproducts. The approach is eco-friendly, energy-efficient, and completes the job in approximately half the time of traditional methods when preparation and cleanup are considered. Also, no consumables are required,” says Wayne Tupuola, CEO, Orlando, Florida-based Laser Photonics, a leading provider of patented industrial grade CleanTech® lasers for cleaning and surface conditioning. The company’s systems function either as mobile standalone units or can be integrated into production lines.
The lasers are used to refurbish industrial infrastructure, such as when removing a previous coating along with any corrosion to facilitate the new coating’s adhesion to the surface.
Another common laser application involves pre-weld treatment to remove corrosion, mill scale, residue, and any impurities on the surface of the base material that would compromise the weld’s effectiveness. It is essential to avoid any such contamination on a weld’s surface, which could otherwise lead to a weakening of the weld’s mechanical properties, requiring rework.
Laser treatment is also used for post-weld cleaning to increase the life expectancy and corrosion resistance of a welded joint.
For more information on laser cleaning solutions for surface preparation, contact Laser Photonics at (407) 804-1000 or visit www.laserphotonics.com.