Pulsed laser cleaning has emerged as a promising technology to challenge traditional surface preparation methods. This paper introduces the PROTAL(R) process, which combines an in situ pulsed laser cleaning with thermal spraying techniques. This laser surface preparation avoids some drawbacks of the traditional degreasing and sand-blasting stages prior to thermal spraying, which is especially meaningful for ductile and notch-sensitive materials. The laser induced phenomenon and the significant role of such laser irradiation in the coating deposition are presented. (C) 2008 Laser Institute of America.