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Laser surface cleaning, widely used for years for recovering of architectural or artistic works, is a relatively new application in industry, even if machine prototypes already exist and, in few cases, special cleaning units are integral part of production lines. In addition to the peculiar advantages of the technology, such as quality, precision and process selectivity, the laser process, thanks to its low environmental impact, avoids or reduces typical problems such as treatment of exhaust baths, vapours and fumes, storage and transport of quantities of related by-products. Furthermore, physical-mechanic means (sandblasting, water jet, iced jet) may damage either softer materials or thinner elements, while laser cleaning is a careful solution. Cleaning includes paint-stripping, continuous film removal, discontinuous residues removal, degreasing and deoxidation. Super pulsed lasers are used: in these lasers, energy is concentrated in very short pulses and very high peak powers, able to break into fragments and to detach the layer to be removed, without any thermal damage to the substrate.


