How much does a laser cleaning machine cost to buy?

In addition, the machine price does not fully reflect the cost of purchase. Powerful class 4 lasers are used for cleaning, and according to DGUV FBHM-139, their safe operation requires extraction, laser safety goggles, protective measures at the workplace and trained personnel; which further measures are added follows from the risk assessment. These items belong in the planning before quotations are compared.

Only the starting prices of the Beamlux models serve as a guide here. Whether an investment pays off over its service life is a separate question.

Why there is no standard price

A starting price describes the entry-level version of a model. Power class, accessories and options change the amount.

For orientation, the four Beamlux models:

• BL Portable Pulse, portable, pulsed, 200/300 W: from €14,900 plus VAT
• BL Compact Pulse, wheeled, pulsed, 200/300 W: from €16,900 plus VAT
• BL CW 2000, wheeled, continuous wave, 2,000 W: from €13,500 plus VAT
• BL Welding Machine, wheeled, continuous wave: from €12,600 plus VAT (1,500–3,000 W)

General market prices cannot be derived from this. Quotations only become comparable once it is clear exactly what is included in the price.

Laser type: pulsed or continuous wave

Laser cleaning is based on the locally confined interaction of pulsed or continuous laser radiation with the surface layer, as described by Fraunhofer ILT.

A pulsed laser emits its energy as a single pulse or as a pulse train; the DGUV takes a duration of less than 0.25 seconds as the basis for a pulse. A continuous wave laser (CW) emits continuously.

For the price, this means above all: the wattages of the two types cannot be set directly against each other. In the Beamlux range, the starting price of the BL CW 2000 with 2,000 W is lower than that of the pulsed models with 200/300 W. A higher power rating therefore does not automatically mean a higher purchase price.

Which laser type is suitable depends on the material, layer and component. It makes sense to derive it from the application first and only then compare prices.

Power class and range of functions

Within a laser type, the power class is the obvious price factor:

• The BL CW series is listed with 1,500, 2,000, 3,000 and 6,000 W.
• In addition to 200/300 W, the BL Compact Pulse is also available as a 1,000 W version on request.
• The BL Welding Machine is listed with 1,500, 2,000, 3,000 and 6,000 W; the starting price applies to 1,500–3,000 W, and the 6,000 W version is available on request.

A higher power class only offers value if the task calls for it. Which class suits the material, layer and area can be clarified most reliably with a test on your own component.

Another factor is what a machine is designed for. The BL Welding Machine is a water-cooled continuous wave fibre laser for welding, cutting, weld seam cleaning and rust removal on steel, stainless steel, galvanised sheet and aluminium. Whether it covers the specific cleaning task should, however, be checked on the component beforehand.

Design and mobility

The design determines where and how a machine can be used. It can also affect the price independently of the laser power.

In the Beamlux range, the two pulsed models illustrate this. Pulsed laser technology, power class and the wavelength of 1064 nm are the same; the difference lies in the design:

• The BL Portable Pulse is carried with a carrying strap, is air-cooled and can be battery-operated. From €14,900 plus VAT.
• The BL Compact Pulse stands on four castors and is designed for workshop use and continuous operation. From €16,900 plus VAT.

Which design makes sense depends on where the machine will be used. Anyone working at changing locations or outdoors without a mains connection has different requirements from a business with a fixed cleaning station and longer runs.

Handling is also part of the assessment. The DGUV points out that, depending on posture and the weight of hand-held laser equipment, increased strain can occur. This is part of the risk assessment and therefore also of the selection.

Optics, scanner and cooling

Besides the laser type, there are other assemblies in which quotations can differ. In the system technology for laser cleaning, Fraunhofer ILT lists high-speed scanners and extraction systems, among other things; it describes hand-held processing heads with fibre-coupled laser sources in pulsed operation.

Two questions are particularly relevant to the purchase:

• Processing head and beam guidance: how is the beam guided across the surface? On the BL CW 2000, the cleaning head is guided by hand.
• Cooling: the BL Portable Pulse is air-cooled; the BL CW 2000 and the BL Welding Machine are water-cooled. What care the cooling system requires should be known before buying.

Extraction is part of the purchase

When coatings or surfaces are processed with laser radiation, hazardous substances can be produced, which are usually taken up through the respiratory tract. The DGUV cites examples including red lead, chromates, zinc, pyrolysis products from plastics or synthetic resins, and asbestos-containing fillers.

The DGUV guidance document FBHM-139 therefore provides for functioning, efficient extraction. Removal products must be captured as close as possible to the point where they are generated, for example via capture elements carried on the machine; suitable separation systems and filters must be used. The document’s checklist puts it briefly: “Do not operate the laser without extraction.”

For cost planning, this means:

• Extraction is a separate item. Whether it is included in the quotation should be clarified explicitly.
• Which separation and filter technology is needed depends on the layers to be removed.
• According to FBHM-139, unknown coatings should be analysed before processing.

Protective equipment and laser area

Protective measures follow an order of priority: technical before organisational before personal measures. What needs to be planned for is therefore not just safety goggles, but first of all the set-up of the work area.

According to FBHM-139, these include, among other things:

• Demarcation of the work area, for example by a separate room, a cabin or suitable laser protection walls
• Indication of the switched-on state, for example by a warning light, flashing light or rotating beacon
• lockable main or key switches, which must be present as a minimum if no separately demarcated laser area can be defined
• Laser safety goggles, marked in accordance with DIN EN 207 or E DIN EN ISO 19818-1; they must always be worn when working with open laser equipment, by all persons in the laser area, not only by the person operating the machine
• Protective clothing, if exposure limit values are or may be exceeded
• Respiratory protection, if the assessment of hazardous substances makes it necessary despite technical and organisational measures

The goggles must be designed for the maximum power or energy density in the relevant wavelength range.

Which further measures are required in an individual case is determined by the risk assessment. Under § 3 OStrV, it must be carried out and documented before work begins; the employer can also obtain the necessary information from the manufacturer. This article replaces neither the risk assessment nor legal advice.

Planning for training and expertise

FBHM-139 states that training is required for persons who operate laser equipment, for example by the manufacturer. In addition, all employees who work with laser equipment or in its vicinity must be instructed.

If the employer does not itself have the necessary expertise, a laser safety officer must be appointed in writing for a class 4 machine (§ 5 OStrV). This person’s qualification is demonstrated by a training course and kept up to date through refresher training — both are costs that arise with the purchase.

The TROS Laserstrahlung specifies this: the laser safety officer has attended an appropriate training course and passed the final examination. One day of refresher training within a period of five years is generally considered appropriate.

Course fees, working time for training and instruction, and refresher training do not appear on the machine invoice, but they are part of the purchase. Training on the Beamlux machines is possible on request.

Checking the scope of delivery in the quotation

Before comparing, it helps to ask every quotation the same questions:

1. Which version and power class does the quoted price refer to?
2. Are the laser type, wavelength, mode of operation and power stated? These parameters are needed to select the protective measures.
3. Is the laser class identifiable? According to FBHM-139, laser equipment that has not been classified must not be used for surface processing.
4. Is an operating manual included, with information on intended use and maintenance intervals?
5. Are extraction and laser safety goggles included, or do they have to be procured separately?
6. Is training included or available separately?
7. Who carries out maintenance work on the machine, and how is this organised?

The guidance on choosing a process in FBHM-139 also recommends clarifying and trialling which cleaning system is suitable before it is introduced, where appropriate in cooperation with the manufacturer.

Running costs after the purchase

Further items arise after the purchase; how they feed into unit costs or payback is covered in separate articles.

• Energy: electricity for the machine and the extraction; the connected loads are given in the data sheet.
• Filters: changing and cleaning the filters. According to the DGUV, before a filter is changed it must be checked whether further protective measures against filter dust and for fire and explosion protection are necessary.
• Servicing according to the operating manual: according to the DGUV, the manufacturer’s instructions relate in particular to maintenance intervals, for example for cleaning the optical equipment and testing electrical safety.
• Wear: according to FBHM-139, frequently setting up and dismantling machines and optical fibre cables leads to increased wear. Damaged or worn equipment must be replaced before work begins.
• Maintenance: according to FBHM-139, work on the machine may only be carried out by specialist personnel, for example manufacturers, or by persons trained for this purpose.

How high these items turn out to be depends on the frequency of use, the place of use and the layers being processed.

Conclusion: putting together the total price before buying

How much does a laser cleaning machine cost to buy? The machine’s starting price is a point of departure, not the total. The calculation is only complete with these items:

1. Laser type and power class suited to the task
2. Design, processing head and cooling
3. Extraction with suitable filter technology
4. Demarcation of the laser area and protective equipment for everyone involved
5. Training, instruction and, where applicable, a laser safety officer
6. running costs for energy, filters, servicing and wear

Anyone who compiles these points before making an enquiry can compare quotations on the same basis and reduces the risk that necessary items only become apparent after the purchase.

Sources

• Beamlux – product overview of laser cleaning machines and laser welding machine — design, laser type, power classes, cooling and starting prices of the Beamlux models.
• DGUV – FBHM-139 “Strahlarbeiten – Reinigen und Entschichten mit Laserstrahlung” — as of 20 June 2024; hazardous substances and extraction, laser safety goggles, training, servicing and inspection for hand-held class 4 lasers.
• OStrV – German regulation on the protection of workers from hazards caused by artificial optical radiation — § 3 risk assessment and § 5 competent persons, laser safety officer.
• TROS Laserstrahlung, part General – section 5 “The laser safety officer” — training course with final examination, refresher training and delegated powers.
• Fraunhofer ILT – cleaning — laser cleaning with pulsed or continuous radiation; system technology with scanners and extraction systems.

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