2. INTERNATIONAL BLACKSEA SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND INNOVATION CONGRESS, Trabzon, Turkey, 29 - 30 June 2024, vol.1, no.1, pp.515-530
The present study aims at
identifying fiber laser parametric effects on removing epoxy primer and after
that acrylic paint from 2024-T3 aluminum alloys surface, emphasizing surface
morphology and surface roughness. The conditions used for the experiments are
the respective laser speeds (100, 550, and 1000 mm/s), laser powers (10, 30,
and 50 W), and track spacings (0.01, 0.03, and 0.05 mm), which is crucial to
identify the appropriate parameter settings for the paint removal process.
Roughness and depth analyses of the 2024-T3 surface after paint stripping were
carried out using a non-contact profilometer. According to the depth
comparisons obtained as a result of the analyses, it was observed that
increasing the laser power and decreasing the scanning speed increased the
paint removal efficiency but also increased the morphological distortions on
the surface. By contrast, at the optimal parameter settings, such adverse
effects were minimized to yield efficient paint removal without compromising
the surface integrity. The results of this study stress the essential need to
choose proper laser parameters in order to improve cleaning efficiency and
minimize surface damage. The discovery could improve laser-induced paint
removal and represent a cleaner, more efficient alternative to traditional
mechanical and chemical techniques. These findings are of practical concern for
aerospace applications, where the preservation of the structural integrity of
materials such as 2024-T3 aluminum alloys is paramount. Further studies are
needed to investigate how other parameters will affect laser de-painting.