Dry ice blasting successfully:

• reduces gloss levels;
• removes outgassing residues;
• reduces mold damage;
• removes release agents;
• removes product residues;
• reduces or eliminates hand-scrubbing;
• reduces downtime;
• removes glue from glue heads;
• improves worker safety by eliminating solvents.

Dry ice blasting is used in the plastics industry to clean molds, extruder screws, packaging equipment, and for general maintenance.

CO2 blasting is suitable for Clean In Place (CIP) activities because the dry ice particles sublimate upon impact with the targeted surface. CIP eliminates many of the steps necessary in traditional blast cleaning processes. These include cool down, disassembly, transport to and from a dedicated cleaning area, inspection for grit entrapment, reinstallation and reheating. This can lead to substantial reductions in downtime and labor.

Dry ice blasting reduces or eliminates the need for hand scrubbing which can result in a number of benefits. First, because the need for solvents is also reduced or eliminated, waste disposal is similarly lessened, as is worker exposure to the hazardous chemicals. Second, damage sometimes occurs when using old-fashioned methods such as wire brushes. CO2 blasting is non-abrasive and generally will not alter the targeted surface. Third, dry ice particles are able to get into nooks and crannies inaccessible by hand resulting in a cleaner clean.

Old-fashioned cleaning methods cause mold damage in two ways. First, the mold surface is abraded whether blasting with grit media or scrubbing with wire brushes. Dry ice is non-abrasive, thus preserving critical tolerances. Second, CIP eliminates damage common during removal and transport of molds to and from a dedicated cleaning area.