Tesla joins trend for laser cleaning technology

22nd of January 2020
Tesla joins trend for laser cleaning technology

Electric car manufacturer Tesla has filed a patent for windscreen wipers that use laser beams to burn away dirt from the car's windshield.

This is the latest example of the growing use of laser technology to remove unwanted substances from surfaces.

The Tesla patent notes the inefficiency of traditional windscreen wipers, which are typically unable to reach every part of a windscreen. It adds that the process of removing dirt with water and soap from a car's windscreen results in "unproductive time" spent waiting for the glass to dry.

Tesla's "pulsed laser cleaning" solution would be set up in a way to avoid damaging the car's components or the eyes of the vehicle's occupants with the high-intensity light beams.

The manufacturer's patent goes on to explain how any glass surface on a car could be cleaned using the lasers, including the cameras and sensors used for autonomous driving.

The global laser cleaning market is projected to grow at 4.5 per cent over the period from 2018 to 2025.

Laser cleaning is increasingly being used in industrial and commercial environments to remove substances such as paint, rust and scale from walls and other surfaces. It is said to provide an eco-friendly, precise and non-abrasive alternative to chemicals, which could produce hazardous vapours, and traditional blasting systems which are claimed to create waste and have the potential to damage delicate surfaces.

However, laser "cons" are said to include increased implementation costs and a need for specialist training on the part of the operator.

 

 

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