Laser ablation of local defects

Closed

Both industrial and private use powder coatings have established themselves as a frequently used process (e.g. vehicle frames, household appliances, facade elements). However, the powder coating process is not always error-free, about 5-10 % of the components have defects. Cost-effective components with defects are disposed of as scraps and components with high added value experience post-processing. It currently looks as follows: 1. Transport of the defective component to a specialised company, 2. Decoating by environmentally harmful chemicals, 3. Return transport and manual post-processing, 4. Renewed powder coating process. By using innovative techniques, Kamp Coating Apeldoorn BV strives to continuously improve production quality while reducing the environmental impact. Through the cooperation with the Laser Center of the University of Applied Sciences Münster as part of the ongoing INTERREG project “MOVERO”, Kamp Coating became aware of alternative possibilities in the field of laser processing. So far, only full-surface removal has been taken into account, so modern laser methods offer far more options. The irradiation process can be controlled in such a way that only previously defined area areas are removed. Such a technology would open up entirely new possibilities for repairing faulty powder coatings. With a precisely controlled laser beam, instead of the entire component, only the area of the defect can be defined. Initial tests on different coating patterns yielded positive results. If a subsequent recoating of these areas with sufficient quality succeeds, then only the replacement of faulty areas would be necessary. In order to be able to answer the question scientifically soundly, the study will be accompanied by metrology by the University of Twente.

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