Chinese laser rust removal machine demonstration of the rust removal process, foreign customers were directly stunned: this technology is too strong
Recently, a video released by a Chinese industrial equipment company has quickly gone viral on overseas social platforms and in industry circles. In the video, a laser rust removal device is processing a heavily rusted steel plate - within a few seconds, the rust layer is precisely stripped away, while the metal base remains intact, with a smooth surface as new. A procurement officer from Europe who watched the demonstration on site immediately said, "This is simply unbelievable."
For a long time, industrial rust removal mainly relied on sandblasting, chemical acid washing, or mechanical grinding. These methods either damage the substrate, produce large amounts of dust or waste liquid, or are inefficient and have high labor costs. Especially in fields such as aerospace, shipbuilding, and cultural heritage protection, where high precision is required, traditional methods often find themselves powerless. The core advantage of laser rust removal lies in its "selectivity" - by adjusting the laser wavelength, pulse width, and energy density, it only acts on the oxide layer without harming the underlying metal, achieving true "non-destructive cleaning."
Over the past decade, China has continuously invested in key components such as high-power fiber lasers, precision control systems, and intelligent vision recognition. Taking the equipment used in this demonstration as an example, its core laser source has been localized, with a power stability of over 1000 watts, combined with automated robotic arms and AI image recognition systems, allowing for adaptive scanning of complex surfaces. This means not only that the rust removal effect is good, but it can also be integrated into smart factory production lines, significantly reducing manual intervention.
From an industrial perspective, laser cleaning has become an important tool for the green transformation of global manufacturing. The European Union has introduced multiple environmental regulations in recent years, restricting the use of high-pollution cleaning processes; the U.S. Department of Defense has also included laser cleaning in military equipment maintenance standards. In this context, Chinese equipment, with its high cost-performance ratio, mature technology, and fast service response, has begun to be exported in bulk to the US, Europe, Japan, and South Korea. According to customs data, the export value of laser cleaning equipment from China increased by more than 65% in 2025, with rust removal equipment accounting for nearly 40%.
Various small technological devices from China are changing the Western stereotype of China's backwardness. Dao Ge believes that private enterprises have played a significant role in this regard.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1857063315801225/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.