Hill Air Force Base LADS II

The LADS II (Laser Automated De-Coating System II) at Hill Air Force Base is an advanced robotic laser system is used to safely and quickly strip paint from aircraft components like fighter jet radomes.

American Laser Enterprises served as a key team member on this project. Addressing a contour focusing issue due to the size, shape, and rotational spin was solved using a height sensor system integrated with added contour following sensors. However, the challenge was in the robotic delivery.

Subsystem Focus: Free-Space Beam Delivery vs. Structural Volatility

• The Challenge: Resolving structural micro-flexing over a 30-foot free-space path to safely transport an 8kW CO2 laser beam without fiber optics.
• The Enabler: American Laser Enterprises’ Automated Laser Alignment System (ALAS) transformed an otherwise unusable mechanical arm into a highly precise optical instrument. By automating alignment down to minutes instead of days, ALE removed the primary failure point of high-power, multi-axis CO2 industrial robotics.