As an advanced technology in laser manufacturing, laser cleaning plays a crucial role in enhancing the competitiveness of China's high-end manufacturing equipment industry.

　　Standardization and regularization in the laser cleaning industry will accelerate its growth, positioning laser cleaning as a standout feature in the blueprint for advancing manufacturing. On April 22, reporters from the 21st Century Business Herald learned at the project kickoff meeting for the national standard "Green Manufacturing — Technical Specifications for Laser Surface Cleaning" that industry standards for laser cleaning are expected to be released in the second half of 2022. This milestone will significantly boost product development, market regulation, and the overall upgrade of the industry chain.

　　In fact, China's laser cleaning industry started relatively late but has experienced rapid growth in recent years. Beyond overcoming critical challenges—such as achieving breakthroughs in technology and processes to increase power output into the kilowatt range, as well as enabling domestic production of core components—new market applications have also been actively explored and developed. Sectors like automotive manufacturing, shipbuilding, medical devices, aerospace, defense industries, and cultural heritage conservation are already reaping the benefits.

　　Industry insiders estimate that the domestic laser cleaning market alone has potential demand exceeding 60 billion yuan, while global demand is projected to surpass 100 billion yuan. In the past three years, China's target markets in sectors such as aerospace, rail transportation, and automotive manufacturing have already reached over 3 billion yuan.

　　As an industry with significant market potential, there is an urgent need for a unified set of standards to drive the integration of technology and applications. Wang Xichang, a researcher at the Comprehensive Institute of the Aviation Industry, stated: "In this context, the development of a national standard represents a powerful convergence of technological maturity and the growing demand for advanced equipment applications. This standard will address general requirements, process control, quality inspection, safety measures, and other critical aspects of laser surface cleaning—tailored for multiple levels including manufacturing, application, and regulation—and will serve as a comprehensive, top-level guideline applicable across diverse materials and use cases."

　　To this end, the development of the above-mentioned standards aims to standardize and promote the application of laser surface cleaning technology while fostering environmentally friendly practices in the cleaning process. These standards will apply to both companies using laser surface cleaning technologies and manufacturers producing the associated equipment.

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　　Standard Development

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　　Laser cleaning involves rapidly applying continuous or pulsed laser beams to a material's surface, causing heterogeneous contaminants on the surface to undergo localized, rapid thermo-physical and chemical processes—such as vaporization, thermal expansion, thermal vibration, and shock-induced spallation—under the combined effects of heat and mechanical forces. These processes ultimately lead to the breakdown and removal of the contaminants, achieving the desired cleaning effect.

　　Xi Daoyun, Secretary-General of the Green Manufacturing Standards Committee at the China Machinery Industry Productivity Promotion Center, pointed out that the "Laser Cleaning Specifications" should be primarily aimed at enterprises applying laser surface cleaning technology, as well as equipment manufacturers, with the goal of standardizing and promoting the use of laser surface cleaning technologies while enhancing the environmental sustainability of the cleaning process. "During the drafting process," he added, "it’s crucial to fully consider versatility; mandatory clauses must be specific and clear, ensuring they are both testable and verifiable. At the same time, we should broadly solicit input from all relevant stakeholders, carefully balancing and aligning perspectives from industry, academia, research institutions, and end-users."

　　According to Wang Xichang, the standard will address general requirements, process control, quality inspection, safety measures, and other relevant aspects of laser surface cleaning across multiple levels—including production, application, and regulatory frameworks. It will serve as a top-level, universally applicable guideline suitable for diverse materials and varying application scenarios. During the standard’s development, five key principles will guide the process: openness (incorporating application needs and collaborating with technology R&D institutions), effectiveness (prioritizing rigorous testing and validation throughout the standardization process), standardization (ensuring strict procedural management), scientific rigor (optimizing the standard-setting methodology), and adaptability (strengthening implementation and enforcement). These principles will help create a scientifically sound, practical standard that can be swiftly adopted and scaled up to tackle real-world challenges.

　　Image source: Online

　　According to Wang Chunming, founder of Xiangming Laser and a professor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, establishing standards is crucial because it significantly impacts the development of scientific research, products, markets, and the entire industrial chain. "In the early stages of standard-setting, it’s essential to first clarify two overarching issues: defining laser cleaning and determining the scope of application for the standard. At the same time, we need to refine these guidelines by focusing on three core areas—process standards, inspection protocols, and equipment requirements. Additionally, whether or not to implement a tiered evaluation system for laser-cleaning quality, as well as the specific criteria for such grading, remains an open question that requires further discussion."

　　"To make laser cleaning a standard tool—something every workshop and toolbox should have as a staple. On the supply side, this will help accelerate the commercialization of research findings, providing clearer guidance for translating scientific innovations into real-world production and tangible productivity. On the other hand, by clearly defining the technical specifications of the product, we can enhance transparency, foster healthy competition, and ultimately elevate product quality. Moreover, this approach also safeguards the rights of end-users, ensuring they have clear guidelines and reliable data to follow when adopting laser cleaning technology, thereby expanding the laser cleaning market. Once the external interfaces and market standards for clean products are established, related complementary products—such as various sensors and cameras—will gradually fall into line as well, ultimately driving growth across the entire upstream and downstream industrial chain." Wang Chunming added.

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　　Industry Development

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　　The "14th Five-Year Plan" and the 2035 Vision Outline emphasize the need to deeply implement the strategy of building a manufacturing powerhouse, driving innovative development in industries such as integrated circuits, aerospace, shipbuilding and marine engineering equipment, robotics, and advanced rail transit systems. Once the "Laser Cleaning Standards" are released, they will fill the existing gap—both domestically and internationally—in standardized laser cleaning practices. This will not only significantly enhance industry-wide acceptance of laser cleaning technology, further accelerating its industrialization, but also encourage laser cleaning technology providers to elevate and maintain quality standards, laying a robust foundation for the healthy growth of the entire sector.

　　China's laser cleaning industry started relatively late. According to reports, Huazhong University of Science and Technology first began researching the process and mechanism of using YAG pulsed lasers to remove paint from aluminum plates and clean rubber layers off tire surfaces as early as 2000. However, it wasn't until 2016 that Wuhan Raycus Fiber Laser Technologies Co., Ltd. developed China's first domestically produced laser cleaning prototype. While 2018 marked a breakthrough year for laser cleaning technology, power levels at the time still remained in the hundred-watt range.

　　Publicly available information reveals that power issues have consistently hindered the efficiency of laser cleaning. An industry insider pointed out: "Laser cleaning has already proven its advantages over traditional methods like paint removal—applications such as removing paint from high-speed train and subway wheelsets, as well as aircraft fuselage coatings—have demonstrated success in the market. However, when it comes to stripping thick layers of paint from ship hulls in the shipbuilding industry, sandblasting remains the dominant method. Although advancements in process optimization and power enhancement have significantly boosted the efficiency of laser-based paint removal, the technology still falls far short of meeting the demands for coating removal on a vessel’s vast surface area—often spanning tens of thousands of square feet."

　　Applications of laser cleaning

　　The technological bottleneck in 1,000W fiber laser technology was finally overcome in 2019, enabling domestic brands to launch fiber lasers for cleaning applications with power levels exceeding 1,000 watts. By 2020, domestically produced fiber lasers for cleaning had already broken through the 2,000W mark, paving the way for advanced cleaning applications such as paint removal from aircraft skins and turbine engines.

　　In addition to continuously boosting power, relevant companies have also delivered a strong response to the critical "bottleneck" challenges. Currently, the industry has made breakthroughs in technologies such as integrated collaborative control board systems, focal spot pool systems, edge-lighting control systems, beam homogenization and shaping systems, anti-vibration solutions, and high-precision tolerance management.

　　Notably, the advanced high-power laser technology used for cleaning—while representing a significant breakthrough—is still far from mature. There’s still considerable room for improvement in terms of automation levels and cost-effective equipment design. However, since laser cleaning can replace traditional industrial cleaning methods, eliminate the need for manual polishing, and open up promising new application areas such as cultural heritage preservation, building maintenance, and even street cleaning, it already enjoys a robust market foundation. Meanwhile, as laser cleaning evolves toward greater automation and intelligence, it holds the potential to "integrate seamlessly with other manufacturing equipment, enabling a single production line to address every stage of a product's lifecycle." This not only boosts overall productivity but also fuels the technology’s own rapid advancement.

　　Source: 21st Century Business Herald