Laser Oxide Removal
in Switzerland.
We strip aluminum oxide, stainless oxide, mill scale and heat tint from metal parts and welds with a pulsed fiber laser. The oxide vaporizes, the parent metal stays at temperature, the geometry is preserved. Mobile service for fabrication shops, manufacturers and maintenance teams across the country, used for surface preparation before welding, coating and bonding.
- Mobile across Switzerland
- Reply within 24 h
- No grit, no acid pickling
Before and after: oxide removal with laser on real parts
Drag the slider across. On the left, a stainless steel part with heat tint and surface oxide from heat treatment. On the right, the same part after laser oxide removal. Bright metal, no dimensional change, ready for the next process step.
How laser oxide removal
actually works
Laser oxide removal works because oxides and the underlying metal respond very differently to the laser's working wavelength. Iron oxide, aluminum oxide and the chrome-rich oxide on stainless steel absorb the infrared beam strongly and turn it into heat almost instantly. The metal lattice underneath has a much higher reflectivity at the same wavelength, so it stays much cooler. The result is that the oxide layer vaporizes while the bulk material is barely warmed.
Compared to traditional descaling methods, the difference is mostly in what does not happen. There is no acid pickling, so no neutralization step, no acidic rinse water, no special disposal. There is no mechanical descaling with wire brushes or flap discs, so no smearing of contamination into the surface and no dimensional loss. There is no abrasive blasting, so no spent grit to handle and no risk of embedded particles in the cleaned surface. Each of these absences is also a cost saving across the lifecycle of the process.
Repeatability is the other practical advantage. Once the parameters are dialled in for a given material and oxide thickness, the result is the same from one part to the next. That matters for fabrication shops dealing with weld discoloration on stainless tanks, for aluminum specialists prepping bonding surfaces, and for maintenance teams cleaning heat-treated parts for inspection. We document the parameters and provide them with the work, so a recurring job can be reproduced without guesswork.
Why fabrication shops choose laser over pickling or grinding
Selective and self-limiting
The beam stops removing material when the oxide is gone. No risk of grinding into the base metal, no thinning of weld toes, no rounding of edges that must hold a coating.
No acid pickling chemistry
No nitric or hydrofluoric acid pastes, no neutralization, no acidic effluent to dispose of. The work area stays compatible with surrounding production activity.
No grit, no embedded particles
No spent media to dispose of, no abrasive grit embedded in the cleaned surface, no risk for corrosion-resistant alloys that need a contamination-free finish.
Repeatable parameters
Once set, the same parameters give the same result. Useful for serial parts, for audit-grade weld cleaning, and for quality reports that must be reproducible.
Heat input under control
Short pulses limit heat soak. Thin-walled stainless, aluminum honeycomb and laser-welded assemblies tolerate the process without distortion or sensitization risk.
Mobile or in-house
We come to the shop or to the construction site. Equipment fits in a van, plugs into a standard outlet, can be operated next to ongoing work with proper safety zoning.
Where laser oxide removal fits best
-
Stainless steel weld cleaningRemove heat tint and oxide, restore corrosion resistance.
-
Pre-weld surface preparationClean, oxide-free surface for a sound weld.
-
Aluminum oxide removal for bondingActivate aluminum for strong, reliable bonding.
-
Heat-treated parts after forging or annealingStrip the oxide skin after forging or annealing.
-
Mill scale on structural steelTake off mill scale before coating or welding.
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Tube and pipe descalingDescale tube and pipe inside and out.
Metals we descale
with laser ablation
| Material | Suitability | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Stainless steel, 1.4301 and 1.4404 | Very good | Heat tint, chrome oxide on welds, light corrosion. Restores corrosion resistance, prepares for passivation or electropolishing. |
| Carbon steel, S235 to S690 | Very good | Mill scale, surface rust, oxide after heat treatment. Standard prep before painting, galvanizing or further welding. |
| Aluminum, EN AW series | Good | Native oxide layer, oxide from heat exposure, contamination before bonding. Adjusted pulse energy to avoid melting thin sections. |
| Galvanized steel | Good | Selective treatment of weld zones where the zinc has been burnt off. Restores a clean steel surface ready for spot repair coating. |
| Copper and brass | Limited | Surface oxide, tarnish, light contamination. Useful for electrical connections, heat exchangers and decorative parts. |
| Cast iron | Very good | Scale and surface oxide from foundry or service. Layer-by-layer removal preserves the dimensional accuracy of cast components. |
| Nickel alloys and special steels | Very good | Heat-treated parts in aerospace, medical and energy applications. Validated through test cleaning to confirm parameter window. |
How a typical oxide removal job runs
Sample and brief
You send photos of the parts, the material specification and a brief description of the next process step downstream. We assess whether laser oxide removal is the right method for your case.
Test cleaning
For larger or recurring jobs we propose a free test cleaning on a sample part. You see the end result and we document the parameters used, so the main job is fully predictable.
Written quote
Fixed-price quote within 24 hours, with breakdown per part type, batch size, expected processing time and any travel or on-site charges.
On-site or in-house work
We either come to your shop with the mobile unit, or we process the parts at our facility. Either way, the parameters and the result match what was demonstrated in the test.
Handover and documentation
Parts delivered with parameter sheet, photo documentation if requested, and dust collected from the filter. Repeat batches use the same recipe, no re-validation needed.
Mobile laser oxide removal on your shop floor
The mobile setup matters in industrial work because parts are often awkward to ship, large to handle or sensitive to additional handling. We arrive with the laser, the controller, the extraction unit and all accessories in a van, plug into a 230 V or 400 V outlet and start within an hour. For construction sites or remote locations without power we bring a generator.
We cover all of Switzerland, with regular jobs in Zurich, Bern, Basel, St. Gallen, Lausanne and the surrounding industrial regions. Recurring assignments with fabrication shops and maintenance teams are part of our standard offering. More on the mobile service is available through Industrial Laser Cleaning.
What does laser oxide removal cost?
Pricing depends on the material, the oxide thickness, the surface area and the batch size. We work with fixed-price quotes, often broken down per part type or per linear meter of weld. The example figures below give an order of magnitude. A detailed quote follows photos and a description of your case. For wider pricing context see Laser Cleaning Price.
| Example | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Single part, small to medium stainless weldment, indicative | CHF 180 - 420 |
| Batch of 20-50 similar parts after parameter setup | CHF 12 - 35/pc |
| On-site, weld preparation plus travel, indicative | CHF 480 - 1'200/day |
Questions on
laser oxide removal
Need a clean metal surface,
without acid or grit?
Send us photos of the parts, the material spec and the next process step you have in mind. We reply within 24 hours with a first assessment and, for larger or recurring work, the option of a free test cleaning on a sample. No commitment to start, parameters documented for repeatable batches.