| This very topic primarily focuses on the industrial | | | | personal protective equipment is required. |
| cleaning aspect which is considered very important by | | | | Whereas Dry Ice Blasting has the following |
| maintenance departments. Today you need to keep | | | | advantages: |
| all your industrial machines and applications in perfect | | | | • Equipment can be cleaned in place; dry process; |
| order to maximize the production capacity and also | | | | can clean while equipment is hot with no down-time. |
| reducing the accidents occurring due to poor | | | | • No additional contaminant; dry ice sublimates |
| maintenance. In order to keep your equipment and | | | | when contacting the targeted surface so only |
| machines clean traditional cleaning methods such as | | | | clean-up of the removed contaminant is necessary. |
| sand blasting, solvents and high pressure water | | | | • Dramatically reduced labor - often completed in |
| blasting have been used. But all these methods have | | | | half the time or better. |
| become a thing of the past since modern fast paced | | | | • No equipment damage; preventive maintenance |
| companies need quicker and more efficient ways to | | | | very realistic as labor hours are significantly less. |
| keep their equipment clean. A revolutionary new | | | | • Standard safety precautions; dry process - |
| cleaning process called Dry Ice Blasting uses pellets of | | | | safe around electrical equipment |
| CO2 (dry ice). It is primarily used for a variety of | | | | • Minimal - cost of dry ice. |
| applications to reduce downtime and waste | | | | The Dry Ice Blasting process is accentuated with the |
| generation. The pellets sublimate (convert directly | | | | environmental benefits because companies today |
| from a solid blast pellet to a vapor CO2) leaving no | | | | want to minimize their industrial waste. When all |
| residue. | | | | benefits of Dry Ice Blasting are added up Dry Ice |
| So what exactly is Dry Ice Blasting? | | | | Blasting is the perfect solution to reduce |
| It is a process in which dry ice particles are propelled | | | | environmental waste, production downtime and plant |
| to supersonic speed impacting and thus breaking free | | | | maintenance concerns. |
| the debris on a surface. The particles are accelerated | | | | Some of the industries where Dry Ice Blasting is |
| by compressed air just as with other blasting | | | | widely being used are: |
| systems. The micro-thermal shock (caused by the | | | | Aerospace |
| dry ice temperature of -79º C), the kinetic | | | | Historical Restoration |
| energy of dry ice pellets and the air pressure break | | | | Automotive |
| the bond between the coating and the substrate. It | | | | Mold Remediation |
| pops off the coating from inside out and the air | | | | Contract Cleaning |
| stream removes it from the surface. Industries can | | | | Packaging |
| utilize the CO2 blasting method through equipment | | | | Electrical |
| that fires the pellets through a blasting gun. It is called | | | | Plastics |
| instantaneous sublimation. Upon impact the dry ice | | | | Fire Restoration |
| sublimates (vaporizes). When the dry ice impacts the | | | | Power Generation |
| surface being cleaned it emits ambient heat that | | | | Food and Beverage |
| causes the separation of dirt particles from the | | | | Printing |
| contaminated area and thus making the surface clean. | | | | Foundry |
| The dry ice blasting is very advantageous as | | | | Rubber |
| compared to some traditional methods. Some of the | | | | General Maintenance |
| issues that traditional cleaning systems face are listed | | | | Wood |
| below: | | | | The process is used in almost any type of industry |
| • Disassembly/reassembly; drying time required. | | | | that has equipment which regularly needs to be |
| • Solvents become a secondary contaminant and | | | | cleaned. It is safe to be used where there are |
| must be disposed of. | | | | smoke particles and residues of mold. Dry Ice Blasting |
| • Intensive hand scrubbing; lengthy cleanings and | | | | for ink presses is a rapidly sought-after process for |
| follow-up cleaning-up can be lengthy. | | | | the printing industry. Build-up of ink causes production |
| • Poor to average results. | | | | quality and safety concerns. Dry Ice Blasting ink |
| • Grit abrasions; grit contamination; movement of | | | | presses are beneficial because it takes away the |
| equipment to and from cleaning area | | | | need for manual labor, solvents and down-time. It has |
| • Health and environmental threats from | | | | certainly been a revolution for not only the printing |
| solvents; water-based cleaning pose hazards around | | | | industry but also almost all industries that use |
| electrical equipment. | | | | equipment. Dry Ice Blasting is the tried and true |
| • Cleaning agent becomes additional hazardous | | | | method against obsolete cleaning technologies and is |
| waste; expensive solvents; additional labor and | | | | gaining in popularity with plant maintenance crews. |