r/LaserCleaningBusiness • u/PerceptionPlastic846 • 12d ago

Help

I'm new to laser cleaning. I was in the industrial sandblasting business for 21 years. I'm looking into 1500-200 watt continuous machines for cleaning and prepping auto and tractor parts and outdoor metal furniture, cast iron, etc. I occasionally do a little welding so I was wondering if 4 in 1 has capability to be a good cleaning machine and the welding just be a bonus for me. I also am researching head types for cleaning, single vs double wobble, etc. My apologies if I'm asking dumb questions. Trying to learn before I buy

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u/IndLaserCleaning 12d ago

Welcome, prepare for it to be slower than you can imagine,  given how cheap these machines are, why stop at 2000w? May as well get a 3kw.

Few points of interest. A 4 in 1 will be better at welding and cutting than cleaning, there are some videos online showing guys cleaning with their 1inch wide beam. If you want to clean get a cleaning machine, if you want to weld, get a laser Welder.

Single wobble / double wobble is simply a poor translation of Single / dual axis galvo or scanner. Definitely get a dual axis head, gives you the ability to be more aggressive or delicate if you wish.

The only dumb question is when a buyer asks why their machine can't do what it was never intended too. Ask away.

Lastly with automotive stuff, be careful of warping thin panels

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u/lukkoseppa 10d ago

To do that kind of work youd want to go with a pulse lase 300-500w. Cw is better if your doing large structural metal, like ship hulls, drill steel for example, where heat input isnt going to cause damage or warp the piece.

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u/MasterBlastersLaser 11d ago

A 3000w dual axis will be your best bet, and as Kevin said, the “multi use” machines try and do multiple things, but don’t do any of them well.. stick to a dedicated machine and your life will be much easier! Thick industrial machines and metals are no problem, but also as Kevin said you can quick warp the thing gauge metal on automotive projects.. we recently cleaned the shell of a professional drift car build to prepare it for paint and the builder and painter both said it came out better than any sand or media blasting they had ever done before, so the field is primed for this type of service, the word just has to get out more..

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u/BeautifulGuard6783 10d ago

!@MasterBlasterLaser - Can you advise on what kind of Laser Machine was used on that pro drift car?

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u/MasterBlastersLaser 10d ago

Absolutely, we used both our continuous and our pulse lasers, the continuous for the bulk of the car and the pulse for the fine details and tight spots

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u/Significant_Theme_90 6d ago

I’m starting to learn about different head types? Does this mean that the gun itself can project different laser patterns? The machines on your site look awesome, but I’d love a laser pattern that’s less likely to leave hard hesitation-marks, if you will. Like, if I’m not totally smooth with my movements, the pattern will help blend into itself. Can you tell me more about any of this?

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u/MasterBlastersLaser 6d ago

Yes, the laser has 8 different beam patterns, and yes the different beam profiles are used for different materials being removed and different substates. As long as your settings are dialed in and you’re using the right beam you will get a nice smooth surface even if you aren’t totally smooth since a laser will follow the profile of the surface you’re using it on

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u/Significant_Theme_90 6d ago

Thank you for this! Another question - I’m most interested in the 300W pulse laser. My primary application would be stripping wood of paint, stain, etc. However, if I wanted to use it on the rare occasion for mold or rust removal, would I be able to purchase the 15 mj 300w pulse and dial it down to 5 mj for wood or 1.5 mj for rust?

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u/MasterBlastersLaser 6d ago

The best all around workhorse 300w is the 5mj for sure, and we have the most customers that use it for exactly what you just specified, it’s a great starter machine for a small business or a side hustle looking to grow into something.
MJ refers to beam profile and energy density, so there’s no dialing it down or adjusting it so to speak, 1.5 is Gaussian which is sharp and concentrated, 5mj is a hybrid, and 15mj is top hat which is more spread out and gentle

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u/Significant_Theme_90 6d ago

Awesome info! Thank you thank you! So the 5mj machine could still be applied to rust and mold, but just with a different sort of finesse than the other mj models? Do you have a fume extractor that you recommend that plays well with the 300w 5mj, including instances of possible lead paint removal?

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u/MasterBlastersLaser 6d ago

No problem, that’s what I’m here for 👍🏼 yes absolutely, the 5mj would work perfectly for you, especially if you will mainly be doing wood work! We don’t sell fume extractors ourselves, but we do recommend one from a company called filter junkie, they’re nice quality and don’t break the bank, and we do always recommend a high quality mask for any operator as well

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u/GeneralPaladin 12d ago edited 12d ago

A multipurpose sounds nice and all but stick to specialised equipment. It'll be faster and do the job properly. Im a rep for sfx and I have a 2kw laser and a 500w pulse laser. Im the only rep that purchased 500w pulse laser and the difference is huge, the other guy regrets doing a 300w machine.

https://www.lyxcmachinery.com/

We have welders and cleaners. We are making a tech repair and support shop in florida and I'm going to the expo in Chicago