The downside to all of this, however, is oxide scale. The use of lasers involves the exposure of molten steel on the cut edge of the metal to oxygen, resulting in the formation of a thin layer of poorly-adherent iron oxide scale. This scale, when painted over, is susceptible to adhesion failures, especially upon impact. The best way to avoid paint chips on the finished part edge is to remove the laser scale before painting.
There are two methods to remove scale. Mechanical methods, such as grinding or abrasive blasting are simple, but not consistent in day-to-day applications, and they are labor-intensive so they are not economical for high production rates. Mechanical methods also are not effective on intricate cuts, which is one of the reasons to use a laser in the first place.