Rust has an ablation threshold that is much smaller than that of steel. It is possible to set the laser parameters so that only the rust gets removed. The steel underneath remains intact. The same can be achieved for paint, layer of anodized aluminum and various contaminants.
You can get more information about rust removal in the blog post: five things to know about laser cleaning.
Feel free to ask our laser experts if laser cleaning can be used in your specific application.