The first applications of laser cleaning date from the 1970s, when the technology was mainly used as a technique to preserve (stone) artworks. However, the technology was still in its infancy and originated from lasermarkings.
During the 1980s the technology was further developed, but laser cleaning was still very expensive compared to other chemical and mechanical cleaning techniques. Furthermore, the speed with which could be cleaned was insufficient.
During the 1990s the technology soared, and since the early 2000s laser cleaning was also used in an industrial context, although mainly in automated setups. Because of the increasing search for sustainable cleaning techniques, the demand for (mobile) machines has been quickly increasing lately.