Laser Cleaning for Steel and Stainless Steel
in Switzerland.
We clean steel and stainless steel with a pulsed fiber laser. Rust, scale, mill scale, heat tint after welding, paint and coatings come off, the geometry stays intact and the tolerances still hold. Laser cleaning steel works mobile across all of Switzerland, on structural steel, inox, galvanized steel, steel structures, sheet metal and pipes, without blasting media and without aggressive chemicals.
- Mobile across all of Switzerland
- Reply within 24 h
- No chemicals, no blasting media
Laser cleaning for steel and stainless steel in action
Before and after: laser steel cleaning in action
Drag the slider from left to right. On the left, the rusted, scaled or heat-tinted steel surface, on the right, the same surface after laser cleaning. The geometry stays intact, no base material is removed, no blasting media involved.
Laser cleaning stainless steel
and how the process works
Laser cleaning stainless steel is a contact-free, dry process. The layer that has to go, meaning rust, flash rust, scale, mill scale, heat tint or coating, absorbs the laser light and is turned into vapor and fine particles in fractions of a second. The metal underneath reflects a large share of the same wavelength and stays cool. With correctly set parameters there is no distortion.
Compared to sandblasting or grinding, no base material is removed from the steel. With laser cleaning steel, the surface stays dimensionally accurate, the edge stays sharp, the tolerances still hold. That is the decisive point for sheet metal, for steel structures, for pipes and for stainless steel parts where any material loss changes the function. On stainless steel the passive layer is preserved, so the corrosion resistance stays intact or can be restored by passivation.
The working environment is just as different. An integrated extraction unit with a HEPA filter pulls oxide dust and vapor away right at the processing point. The workshop, the hall or the assembly site stays clean, the floor is not covered in blasting media, the air is not loaded with acid. After the job the steel is immediately ready for the next step, such as welding, painting or coating, with no drying pause.
Laser cleaning steel compared to blasting and pickling
Geometry stays intact
The laser removes no base material. Structural steel, inox, galvanized steel or sheet metal keep their dimensions and tolerances. With blasting or grinding, that accuracy is exactly what gets lost.
No aggressive chemicals
No pickling paste, no acids, no solvents. Nothing that ends up as sludge, needs neutralizing and has to be disposed of as hazardous waste.
Passive layer preserved
On stainless steel the passive layer stays intact. After welding, the weld seam can be cleaned and the corrosion resistance restored in a targeted way.
Selective cleaning
Only the layer that has to go disappears. Heat tint along the edge of the weld seam can be removed precisely without attacking the surrounding sheet.
Clean workplace
Extraction with a HEPA filter right at the focal point. Machinery and components nearby stay clean, the hall stays free of blasting media.
Mobile on site
The system fits into a van. We bring the equipment to the object, so permanently installed steel structures or heavy components never have to be moved.
Where we use laser steel cleaning
- Steel structures and metal fabrication
- Sheets and profiles
- Weld seams and heat tint
- Stainless steel in the food and pharma industry
- Mechanical and plant engineering
- Pipes, tanks and vessels
Removing oxides and rust
on suitable steel grades
| Material | Suitability | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Stainless steel and inox | Very good | Ideal for laser cleaning stainless steel. Heat tint after welding and flash rust disappear, the passive layer is preserved and the corrosion resistance stays intact. |
| Structural steel S235 and S355 | Very good | Construction steel, often rusted or covered in scale. The laser takes off rust, scale and old coatings, leaving the sheet with a clean surface ready for painting. |
| Mill scale and scale | Good | Firmly bonded scale on hot-rolled steel. Done with higher pulse energy and several passes, without distorting the base material. |
| Galvanized steel | Good | Hot-dip galvanized parts. Paint and coatings come off, and the zinc layer can be spared with reduced energy or exposed deliberately. |
| High-alloy steels | Limited | Tool and special steels, often heat-treated. The laser respects the surface, so edges and tight tolerances on functional faces stay intact. |
| Sheets and pipes | Very good | Thin-walled parts. Always a test clean first, to match the pulse energy to the sheet thickness and rule out any distortion. |
How your project runs
Photos and context
You send us pictures of the object, the steel grade if known, the type of layer that has to go and the location. We get back to you within 24 hours with a first assessment.
Written quote
You receive an offer with a fixed price or a clear hourly rate, plus travel and the estimated time on site. Confirmation by email or WhatsApp.
Test clean on site
On site we start on a small, inconspicuous spot. You see the result, we fine-tune pulse energy and feed rate, then we move on to the main surface.
Cleaning and inspection
We work layer by layer, check the surface in raking light and adjust the parameters whenever the layer thickness or steel grade changes.
Handover
You check the result, we tidy the work area, empty the filter and hand over the steel dry and ready for your next step: welding, priming, painting or passivating.
Mobile laser cleaning for steel on site
Our system is transportable. Laser, controls, extraction and cables fit into a panel van, and a standard 230 V or 400 V socket is enough in most cases. For sites without power we bring a generator. We work across all of Switzerland: Zurich, Bern, Basel, Lucerne, St.
Gallen, Winterthur, Aarau, Chur, Sion and every canton in between. The bigger or more firmly installed the steel parts, the more on-site laser steel cleaning pays off. Steel structures, beams, railings or heavy machinery never have to be dismantled, removed or transported, we come straight to the object. Find out more about the mobile service at Industrial Laser Cleaning.
What does laser cleaning steel cost?
The price depends on the surface area, the degree of rust, the steel grade and the accessibility. The example figures below show the typical range. A binding quote follows once we have seen the photos or after a short on-site visit. For a detailed overview of all the factors, see Laser cleaning costs.
| Example | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Small part, approx. 0.5 m² Bracket, console, component | from CHF 240 |
| Weld seam, stainless steel Cleaning and passivation | from CHF 380 |
| Steel beam, per meter depending on rust level and profile | from CHF 90/m |
What customers ask before their first
job
Ready to see the steel under the
rust and scale again?
Send us photos of the steel parts, the steel grade if known, and the location. We get back to you within 24 hours with a first assessment and a proposed date. You see right away whether laser cleaning for steel and stainless steel fits your project, before anything is set in stone.