Issue 12 2023, Acquisition International | 13 Cleaning Up in the Battle Against Corrosion ndustrial cleaning often involves the use of highly abrasive materials, chemicals, or water blasting to remove dirt and corrosion from surfaces. The trouble with such methods is that they can create hazardous waste, and necessitate the use of personal protective apparatus for workers. They are also illmatched as cleaning techniques for composites, fibreglass, alloys, and expensive, delicate materials used in the manufacturing of modern premium company assets. SurClean offers a laser beam delivery system that is paired with off the shelf components to enable highly customisable and cutting-edge solutions. Its laser coating removal and surface preparation systems are accurate, risk-free, and clean. They make a formidable replacement for current cleaning methods, and are far better suited to many customers’ varied needs and applications. SurClean’s original purpose was to help advance the military in the ongoing fight against corrosion. Over the years, the cost of fighting corrosion has risen into billions for the US military, who obviously require their equipment to be kept in first-class condition. Nobody wants to take to the skies in a rusty jet fighter! SurClean is able to offer a way of reducing the costs, easing the environmental impact, and improving the safety for military service members. “SurClean aims to replace many of the expensive methods used currently to drastically cut the cost of removing rust from military assets. We want to make regular maintenance more feasible and help lengthen the lifespans of corrosion-vulnerable assets.” SurClean utilises a team of experienced engineers to offer its advanced laser beam delivery, including Navy veteran Don Sprentall. Don, a veteran of the United States Naval Nuclear Submarine Force, helped to pioneer the original SurClean system. He currently works as a managing member of the engineering team with an aim to customise and improve the designs, making them even more useful for defence-specific applications. He is instrumental in the technology development and product design at SurClean. SurClean’s laser ablation solutions save time, money, and reduce many of the risks associated with removing rust, dirt, and paint coatings. It focuses on its speciality, the beam delivery system, and is suitable for use in a range of circumstances. This includes paint removal and de-coating, surface preparation for adhesive bond and coating, mould cleaning, de-oiling, and surface structuring. It can also be used to help with the restoration of stone, brick and concrete, and is ideal for sensitive substrate cleaning. The company’s ability to aid corrosion cleaning means it can be practically employed to preserve bridges and infrastructure, vessels and ships, and within the aviation industry. The laser coating removal system used by SurClean is up to 16 times faster than chemical cleaning, and utilises precise removal, stripping layer by layer. It is safe and efficient, leaving no hazardous waste behind, and offers solutions that are customised specific to client application needs. The company uses the latest technology, with up-to-date IC, I/O, and PLC protocols in place. Its COTS and Beam delivery system is also a cost-effective solution. Using laser energy to remove or vaporise material from surfaces such as paint and/ or contaminants is something widely used in various industries including automotive, aerospace, conservation, and restoration. It’s particularly valuable when dealing with delicate or intricate surfaces where traditional methods such as sand blasting could cause untold damage. SurClean offers different types of lasers for different ablation needs. The choice is dependent on factors such as the material to be removed, the desired level of precision, and the depth of ablation required. The beauty of using SurClean is that the company brings over 40 years of experience in the laser industry, and that’s why it can be relied upon to rise to any occasion, and solve myriad challenges. Company: SurClean Inc. Web Address: www.surclean.com Contact Name: Susan Sprentall SurClean Inc. is a female owned company that manufactures laser coating removal and surface preparation equipment. Using custom laser coating removal methodology is precise, safe, and clean, and its environmental impact is considerably lower than other methods in use today. The company has been awarded the title Best Coating Removal Technology Manufacturer 2023 - Midwestern USA, in the AI Global Excellence Awards. Following which we decided to find out a little more about the business. I
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