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