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