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