An oxide layer, also called laser oxide, is created when metals are cut by a CO2 laser that uses oxygen as an assist gas. It is visible around the cut areas and needs to be removed by preferably a machine tool that delivers consistent quality. Our laser oxide removal machines offer the right solution.
Reasons to remove oxide layers
- Pre-welding. Considering the laser oxide peels off easily, the metal components will need to be clean from oxide layers to strengthen the welds and prevent weld failures. It is one of the basic conditions of welding quality.
- Before coating process. Whether a powder coating or paint coating is applied, for both surface treatments it is necessary to remove the oxide skin, so that the coating adheres to the product and paint will not peel off.
Timesavers solution for oxide removal
Although the use of deoxidizers/chemicals or laser cleaning are removal methods of oxides and contaminants, Timesavers is offering the rotary brush machine as the ultimate solution for an efficient oxide removal process. The laser oxide removal brushes, that are made of steel wire, hit the part and remove oxides from the surface as well as the sides of the product. The brush reaches interior and exterior contours of the product, for the optimal result.
This photo shows how a workpiece looks like after the laser cutting process, with a shiny, grey/blue coloured oxide skin:
When the machine is equipped with the laser oxide removal brushes, the oxide layer gets removed on one side. This leads to the following results:
When the combination of laser oxide removal brushes and abrasive brushes is made, it is also possible to round the edges up to a radius of 2 mm, in addition to laser oxide removal, like shown in this photo:
This combination of two different brushes is only possible with the 42 RB series:
Timesavers’ machines
The rotary brush (RB) machines from Timesavers are substitutes for laser cleaning solutions and replace the need for manual oxide removal, which is a labor intensive process. A wide variety of metals can be processed in our machines, such as stainless steel, mild steel, aluminium and copper.
Timesavers’ machines are designed in such a way that applications, like deburring or edge rounding, can be combined in one machine. It is possible to add an abrasive belt before the rotary brushes or a finishing belt at the end of the laser oxide removal machine. Therefore, one side of the product is completely processed in a single pass.
If you have any questions about whether this application will suit your needs, do not hesitate to contact us. We are happy to share our knowledge and give advice, so you can achieve the best quality products.
Machines for laser oxide removal
22 RB series
32 RB series
42 RB series
About removing laser oxide
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What is laser oxide?
Laser oxide is a thin, shiny layer caused by cutting processes that use CO2 as an assist gas. The laser oxide, also called oxide skin, can be found around the cuts of the steel part. An oxide layer makes the products unqualified for coating or welding, since the layer can flake off and lead to paint or weld failure.
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What is laser oxide removal?
Laser oxide removal is the removal of the thin, shiny layer on steel parts, with the use of chemicals or brushes.
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Why remove laser oxide?
Oxide layers on steel parts are caused by CO2 lasers and need to be removed in order to ensure coating or welding quality.
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How to remove laser oxide?
Oxide skin can be manually scraped off, or removed with the use of steel wire brushes in a machine. The brushes hit the oxide skin off the parts within seconds.