february-2011

wirtschaftliche Aspekt im Vordergrund.
Die Kombination der ökonomischen
und ökologischen Komponente ist sehr
wichtig für den Erfolg.
Wer sind Ihre Kunden?
Wir arbeiten inzwischen mit 20 Distributions-Partnern
in 14 Ländern. In Deutschland
wird unser Angebot natürlich vor
allem von der Automobilindustrie eingesetzt,
wie beispielsweise bei Audi oder
in der Reifenindustrie. In Frankreich wird
die Lasertechnik für nukleare Entsorgung
benutzt, in Japan für die Backwaren-industrie
oder in Ägypten für archäologische
Restaurierungen. Auch
Kunden wie Airbus und NASA, also die
Luft- und Raumfahrt, nutzen beispielsweise
seit Jahren unsere cleanLASER.
Wurde Ihr Produkt schon kopiert?
Natürlich gibt es andere Lasersysteme,
aber wir verstehen uns als ein Lösungs-
anbieter. Unsere Stärke besteht darin,
dass wir eine komplette technische
Lösung auf Basis unserer Applikationsversuche
für den Kunden anbieten. Dazu
haben wir ein alleinstehendes Patent.
Stößt der Laser je an seine Grenzen?
Unsere Laser sind exakt dosiert und
daher besonders effi zient und reproduktiv
einsetzbar. Einschränkungen
ergeben sich, wenn beispielsweise
Schichten zu dick sind, um wirtschaftliche
Ergebnisse erzielen zu können.
Zudem muss der Strahl direkt und
gerade an die Oberfl äche gelangen.
Was sind ihre Zukunftspläne?
Natürlich wollen wir das Produkt
kontinuierlich verbessern. Vor allem
im Bereich Korrosionsschutz, zum Beispiel
zur Brücken- und Bauwerksanierung,
sollen die Lasersysteme zum Einsatz
kommen, um Altlacke zu entfernen.
SEEING THE LIGHT
Clean-Lasersysteme’s
Edwin Büchter and Winfried
Barkhausen have won the German
Environmental Award for their
pioneering use of laser light.
Kerstin Zumstein asked Edwin
Büchter what it’s all about
What does your laser system do?
We’ve developed a laser for use in
industrial cleaning. It works a bit like
a magnifying glass. The laser light
removes layers of dirt from industrial
surfaces in a fraction of a second by
evaporating them. If the laser touches
metal, it refl ects light, and the laser
automatically stops, so it basically sets
its own boundaries. Most ordinary
types of cleaning require chemicals
or blasting agents, but a laser treats
a surface quickly and gently by solely
using intense light. It also sorts the
removed particles according to type.
The process saves time, not to mention
manpower and resources.
How did you conceive of using
laser beams in industrial cleaning?
In the mid-90s, we conducted a study
at the Fraunhofer Institut in Aachen.
At the time, lasers were already being
used in cutting and welding, but we
wanted to fi nd out how they could be
used on surfaces to evaporate dirt
in a speedy and effi cient way. The
market seemed ready for this kind
of development, but there was no
technology available which could do
that kind of cleaning. Barkhausen is
a physicist and I’m an engineer and
businessman, and so we decided to
start a business together and
develop the idea.
Edwin Büchter und Winfried
Barkhausen haben mit ihrer
reinigenden Lasertechnik eine
revolutionäre Entwicklung in
die Wege geleitet
Edwin Büchter and Winfried
Barkhausen have revolutionised
industrial cleaning
You launched your fi rst laser
system onto the market in 2001-2,
and then won the Environmental
Award until 2010. How did the
prize come about?
Today’s industry has become
increasingly affected by regulations
regarding chemical waste and heavy
metals, so alternatives are especially in
demand. A laser is a clean technology,
and the Environmental Award supports
sustainable environmental protection.
The economic aspects have also
played an important role.
Who are your customers?
We now work with 20 distribution
partners in 14 countries. In Germany,
our products are mainly used by the
automobile industry – for example, Audi
– and tyre manufacturers. In France,
laser technology is primarily employed in
nuclear waste disposal. The Japanese
use it in the baking industry, and the
Egyptians have found a use for it in
archaeological restoration work. The
aerospace industry has also been using
our cleanLASER for years – NASA
and Airbus are just two of our current
clients.
Has anyone copied your product?
Of course there are other laser
systems, but our strength lies in the
fact that we offer customers a complete
survey-based technical solution, and
we also have a single patent.
Do the lasers have any particular
limitations in how they’re used?
Our lasers are metered very precisely,
which means that they produce
consistent and effi cient results. But it’s
diffi cult for us to get those economic
results if the layers of dirt are too thick.
The beam also has to hit the surface
directly and straight on.
What are your plans for the future?
We want to keep on improving the
product, obviously, particularly in the
fi eld of corrosion prevention. We’d
like to be able to use the laser in
bridge and structural renovation – for
example, for removing old paint.
GW—95