Final Report Summary - INART (Innovative laser based system and technologies for in-situ cleaning of painting artworks)
The main objective of INART was the development of specific technologies for controlled material removal from the surface of painted artworks of interest for cultural heritage conservation and restoration. The prototype developed in the project integrates a laser source that transmits its radiation to the artwork surface through a mechanical device controlled by the end-user. The prototype also comprises diagnosis and monitoring tools for the control of the cleaning operation. Such device is necessary due to the very sensitive nature of pigments, binding media and varnishes, which require a precise and controllable cleaning tool. In parallel, cleaning methodologies for the most relevant problems encountered in painted artworks have been studied and integrated in a specific database.
Degradation of paintings both in the interior as in the exterior of buildings such as monuments and churches is mainly caused by non-controlled microclimate conditions, leading to degradation of both the original materials as those applied over the time, for example in restoration. The degradation of the applied materials can also lead to further degradation of the original ones. Mural paintings and easel paintings have polychrome surfaces and many of them an extremely complex structure with several composed layers. The most superficial painting layer is also multi-composed by several pigments and binding media, which can have organic or inorganic composition.
Cleaning such complex surfaces is a very delicate task because of the often bad conservation conditions. Therefore it is necessary to find cleaning methods with selective and controllable characteristics. Conventional cleaning methods like chemical agents (solvents or aqueous solutions) or mechanical tools (scalpels), are in many cases not sufficiently efficacious or may involve a lot of risks for the safety of artwork and / or restorers. For example, liquid solvents can penetrate the painting layers and cause immediate or long term harmful chemical reactions. Mechanical tools often cannot discriminate between the different layers and are not sufficiently controllable and selective. Furthermore, mechanical cleaning methods are also time-consuming.
All over Europe, conservators encounter similar problems as the ones described above, which can only be solved combining and improving the skills and scientific knowledge in a transnational and multidisciplinary project. The proposed solution is based on laser technology. A laser-based tool appears as an alternative solution to selectively remove the unwanted over-paintings or other encrustations, without affecting the paint layers. The relatively recent development of the laser technology and laser based techniques has led to the progress of less intrusive and more controllable conservation methods. Particularly, lasers have already proved to be a suitable 'non-contact' and localised action tool for the cleaning of paintings, capable of removing thin layers of undesirable material and leaving the underlying layers intact, with minimal thermal effects.
An innovative strategy for the cleaning of in-situ artworks is envisaged by developing a new laser based system able to be displaced and integrated in the conservation/restoration operations of artworks in-situ. This will provide conservators / restorers with an alternative tool to complement the conventional cleaning methods. INART contributes towards preserving and enhancing the environment. By developing a clean technology, it will allow reduction of environment impacts through the non-use of hazard chemicals, traditionally used in the conservation field, and thus contributing to better working conditions and better environment. Additionally, safety at work will be improved by reducing the amount of work associated with toxic and corrosive solvents. Eliminating or minimising the emission of dangerous chemicals will also protect the health of the citizens, improving the quality of life.
This project has potential for the improvement of the employment, either in terms of professional skills and qualifications as in terms of job continuity and potential increase in employment. The European social and economic cohesion will also benefit from this project, because the project bring together partners from different parts of Europe, in the attempt to create a unified approach to solve a problem that is very important to the whole of Europe.
The expected impact on employment will result from the introduction of new and innovative technologies, such as the ones envisaged in this project, which demand a higher qualification of the personnel involved in restoration, opening new opportunities for education and training and more prepared and skilled personnel for a competitive market. Benefits to the general economy are also expected on the long term coming from the increase in the tourism industry. From this point of view, developing a product that helps to conserve and restore artworks can make cultural heritage in a very profitable sector, since more cultural attractions will be available and accessible to the general public. In addition, the quality of life may be improved by returning the society, cultural objects to be viewed and enjoyed. These social, environmental and cultural benefits will balance the possible higher cost of the new technologies compared to the traditional methods.
The laser based cleaning prototype development, with hardware and software integration, including the main different parts: laser source, robotic cell, optical delivery system, laser scanning head (with focusing system), monitoring and control tools (multispectral cameras capable of analysing from the UV to the IR producing various imaging modes and colorimetry analysis, and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system for the control of the laser cleaning operation), main control system (integrating the database of the project research results) and user interface.
The cell is composed by three major components:
- the robot system, comprising the robotic manipulator, the optical laser delivery system and the scanning-head;
- the laser power source;
- the control cabinet, with the user interface.
The robotic system is the largest component inside the cleaning cell. The system positions and delivers the laser beam from the laser source to the artwork as well it allows the positioning of all sub-systems present in the scanning head through its manipulator. A three linear axis Cartesian robot was specified and built during the project in order to cope with the project specifications. The laser has the capability to delivery three different wavelengths - 355 nm (UV), 532 nm (visible) and 1064 nm (IR) - which demanded an accurate optical delivery system in order to obtain a high homogeneity of the laser beam spots with each one of the three wavelengths. The implemented solution for the optical delivery system is based on a set of broadband mirrors (BBDS) able to work with the three wavelengths without significant decrease of performance. The software presents an intuitive and friendly graphical user interface developed using a flexible and modular architecture that allows the introduction of other tools in the future.
This cleaning system will provide conservators / restorers with an alternative tool to complement the conventional methods. The developed device is capable of cleaning artworks that previously were unsatisfactorily treated by conventional techniques, avoiding at the same time the inherent problems related to the use of harmful chemical products. The laser-based system will provide SME end-user companies in Europe with an efficient and reliable advanced restoration tool that can be also integrated and combined with traditional methods. This new technology would increase their global competitiveness due to the new possibility of restore artworks that were not possible to treat before. It is expected that the new tool will improve the innovation for the small and medium enterprises with the increase of their market where conservation and restoration is at the core of their activities by improving the quality of the final restoration work. This make SMEs more sustainable and, therefore, more productive, increasing their competitiveness due to their advantage over other SMEs. SME participants intend to fully exploit project results according to their own interests. The SMEs have established an initial exploitation agreement defining the rights for using and marketing INART results. The RTD main interests are focused on the further development of the technology and improvements of their own consultancy services.
The INART website (see http://www.inart-project.net online) was created and implemented in the project first semester and contain essentially two areas: a public one containing generic and non-confidential information about the project and a private one where all the documents produced, whereas in the meetings, deliverables, etc., are ready available as well as all the project formal documents including EC guidelines. The website also works as a communication interface, either internally (among partners) as externally (with public in general).
Degradation of paintings both in the interior as in the exterior of buildings such as monuments and churches is mainly caused by non-controlled microclimate conditions, leading to degradation of both the original materials as those applied over the time, for example in restoration. The degradation of the applied materials can also lead to further degradation of the original ones. Mural paintings and easel paintings have polychrome surfaces and many of them an extremely complex structure with several composed layers. The most superficial painting layer is also multi-composed by several pigments and binding media, which can have organic or inorganic composition.
Cleaning such complex surfaces is a very delicate task because of the often bad conservation conditions. Therefore it is necessary to find cleaning methods with selective and controllable characteristics. Conventional cleaning methods like chemical agents (solvents or aqueous solutions) or mechanical tools (scalpels), are in many cases not sufficiently efficacious or may involve a lot of risks for the safety of artwork and / or restorers. For example, liquid solvents can penetrate the painting layers and cause immediate or long term harmful chemical reactions. Mechanical tools often cannot discriminate between the different layers and are not sufficiently controllable and selective. Furthermore, mechanical cleaning methods are also time-consuming.
All over Europe, conservators encounter similar problems as the ones described above, which can only be solved combining and improving the skills and scientific knowledge in a transnational and multidisciplinary project. The proposed solution is based on laser technology. A laser-based tool appears as an alternative solution to selectively remove the unwanted over-paintings or other encrustations, without affecting the paint layers. The relatively recent development of the laser technology and laser based techniques has led to the progress of less intrusive and more controllable conservation methods. Particularly, lasers have already proved to be a suitable 'non-contact' and localised action tool for the cleaning of paintings, capable of removing thin layers of undesirable material and leaving the underlying layers intact, with minimal thermal effects.
An innovative strategy for the cleaning of in-situ artworks is envisaged by developing a new laser based system able to be displaced and integrated in the conservation/restoration operations of artworks in-situ. This will provide conservators / restorers with an alternative tool to complement the conventional cleaning methods. INART contributes towards preserving and enhancing the environment. By developing a clean technology, it will allow reduction of environment impacts through the non-use of hazard chemicals, traditionally used in the conservation field, and thus contributing to better working conditions and better environment. Additionally, safety at work will be improved by reducing the amount of work associated with toxic and corrosive solvents. Eliminating or minimising the emission of dangerous chemicals will also protect the health of the citizens, improving the quality of life.
This project has potential for the improvement of the employment, either in terms of professional skills and qualifications as in terms of job continuity and potential increase in employment. The European social and economic cohesion will also benefit from this project, because the project bring together partners from different parts of Europe, in the attempt to create a unified approach to solve a problem that is very important to the whole of Europe.
The expected impact on employment will result from the introduction of new and innovative technologies, such as the ones envisaged in this project, which demand a higher qualification of the personnel involved in restoration, opening new opportunities for education and training and more prepared and skilled personnel for a competitive market. Benefits to the general economy are also expected on the long term coming from the increase in the tourism industry. From this point of view, developing a product that helps to conserve and restore artworks can make cultural heritage in a very profitable sector, since more cultural attractions will be available and accessible to the general public. In addition, the quality of life may be improved by returning the society, cultural objects to be viewed and enjoyed. These social, environmental and cultural benefits will balance the possible higher cost of the new technologies compared to the traditional methods.
The laser based cleaning prototype development, with hardware and software integration, including the main different parts: laser source, robotic cell, optical delivery system, laser scanning head (with focusing system), monitoring and control tools (multispectral cameras capable of analysing from the UV to the IR producing various imaging modes and colorimetry analysis, and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system for the control of the laser cleaning operation), main control system (integrating the database of the project research results) and user interface.
The cell is composed by three major components:
- the robot system, comprising the robotic manipulator, the optical laser delivery system and the scanning-head;
- the laser power source;
- the control cabinet, with the user interface.
The robotic system is the largest component inside the cleaning cell. The system positions and delivers the laser beam from the laser source to the artwork as well it allows the positioning of all sub-systems present in the scanning head through its manipulator. A three linear axis Cartesian robot was specified and built during the project in order to cope with the project specifications. The laser has the capability to delivery three different wavelengths - 355 nm (UV), 532 nm (visible) and 1064 nm (IR) - which demanded an accurate optical delivery system in order to obtain a high homogeneity of the laser beam spots with each one of the three wavelengths. The implemented solution for the optical delivery system is based on a set of broadband mirrors (BBDS) able to work with the three wavelengths without significant decrease of performance. The software presents an intuitive and friendly graphical user interface developed using a flexible and modular architecture that allows the introduction of other tools in the future.
This cleaning system will provide conservators / restorers with an alternative tool to complement the conventional methods. The developed device is capable of cleaning artworks that previously were unsatisfactorily treated by conventional techniques, avoiding at the same time the inherent problems related to the use of harmful chemical products. The laser-based system will provide SME end-user companies in Europe with an efficient and reliable advanced restoration tool that can be also integrated and combined with traditional methods. This new technology would increase their global competitiveness due to the new possibility of restore artworks that were not possible to treat before. It is expected that the new tool will improve the innovation for the small and medium enterprises with the increase of their market where conservation and restoration is at the core of their activities by improving the quality of the final restoration work. This make SMEs more sustainable and, therefore, more productive, increasing their competitiveness due to their advantage over other SMEs. SME participants intend to fully exploit project results according to their own interests. The SMEs have established an initial exploitation agreement defining the rights for using and marketing INART results. The RTD main interests are focused on the further development of the technology and improvements of their own consultancy services.
The INART website (see http://www.inart-project.net online) was created and implemented in the project first semester and contain essentially two areas: a public one containing generic and non-confidential information about the project and a private one where all the documents produced, whereas in the meetings, deliverables, etc., are ready available as well as all the project formal documents including EC guidelines. The website also works as a communication interface, either internally (among partners) as externally (with public in general).
