DRY ICE BLASTING (THE CLEANING SYSTEM OF FUTURE)
An environmentally friendly process that provides a fast and effective alternative to traditional methods of cleaning industrial production equipment.
Dry ice blasting?
Dry ice blasting system uses small rice size pallets of dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) shooting them out of a jet nozzle with compressed air (2 bar -12 bar) on the surface to be cleaned. It works somewhat like sand blasting, high-pressure with superior results. Dry ice blasting is a three-step process:
Kinetic -When dry pallets are accelerated in a jet of compressed air and strike a surface at the speed of sound, they crack and loosen the coating on the surface being treated.
Thermal -The low temperature of dry ice pallets (-78.5 deg C/109 deg C) makes the coating brittle, cracks it and loosens it. This allows dry ice to permeate the coating.
Sublimation -Dry ice penetrates the coating and immediately sublimes (passes direct solid to gaseous state). This results in a 700-fold increase in volume, an explosive effect that lifts the coating
How dry ice blasting differs from other blasting methods?
It can clean in situ i.e. cleaning at site with out dismantling the parts to be cleaned and therefore saves downtime. As dry ice sublimates on impact, it does not produce any secondary waste (i.e. no blasting media). It does not leave any dent/mark on the surface to be cleaned, improves surface appearance with out affecting dimensional tolerance.
What dry ice blasting is used for?
Dry ice blasting conveniently cleans/ removes dirt, oil, grease, asphalt, bitumen, soot, ink, resins, adhesives, release agents, surface rust, paint, scale etc. and improves surface appearance without effecting dimensional tolerance.
Several Benefits
A dry cleaning process: CO2 pallets sublimates immediately on contact with the surface to be cleaned. The system produces no waste products (i.e. no secondary waste). Only the coating that has been removed remains to be disposed of, and this can usually be swept or vacuumed from the floor.
Reduced maintenance downtime: On site cleaning with out dismantling reduces process down time and improves production capacity.
Environmentally friendly: Dry Ice blasting is completely non-toxic and not hazardous chemicals are used. As there is no secondary waste, costs connected with disposal of blasting media, chemicals or solvents are saved.
Non abrasive and non corrosive: It does not leave any scratch/mark or dent on the surface to be cleaned and improves surface appearance without affecting dimensional tolerances thereby prolonging life of the equipments.
Lowers Cost: Lower costs resulting from reduced process and equipment down time periods, increased production capacity, reduced cleaning and maintenance and avoiding use of hazardous chemicals and solvents will pay off the investment in a short time.
A disinfectant: The temperature of dry ice being -79 degrees Celsius, it kills bacteria on the treated surface and therefore making dry ice blasting a very suitable cleaning process in food process industry.
Some Dry ice Blasting Applications
Power-stations and electric sub-stations -Windings of generators and motors, switchgears, transformers & panels, Turbines rotor blades, casings, condensers, seals and other parts.
Refineries -Removal of bitumen spills, oil, grease and dirt scales from tanks, pipes, valves, motors, pumps, compressors and other machinery parts.
Printing presses -Clean ink and dirt from printing press. (Ink trays/lines and other parts)
Food processing industry -Cleaning of glue, paper dust and product residue from packaging machines with out using water and chemicals. Cleaning of conveyors, mixers, moulds, baking ovens, trolleys, butcheries and bottling machinery.
Ship repair -Cleaning of engine room, ship hulls seawater intake valves. Ventilation systems, aluminium and fiber glass hulls, anti fouling removal tanks, electrical panels and utilities. Motors, Pumps and Compressors with pneumatic and hydraulic components.
Mould cleaning -In aluminum, rubber, plastic, tire and foundry industries.
Fire restoration -Removal of soot from walls, wood, sheet metal resulting from fire in building. Fast and good quality cleaning.
Hospital equipment -Catering equipment and utilities.
Aviation industry -Cleaning of runway lighting equipment, aircraft wheels and other parts.
Shrink fitting -For fitting of machine parts.
For before and after pictures of various cleaning applications click here...
Conventional Cleaning Methods
Cleaning processes are necessary in all industries... Production residue, carbon deposits, release agents, soot and all types of airborne contamination are the byproducts of our times. Dirt infiltrates equipment, corrodes machinery, damages buildings and ultimately can cause considerable destruction. The consequences are often signif icant and very costly.
- Increased wear and tear
- Decrease of quality / quantity
- Prolonged cleaning / equipment downtime
- Poor appearance
- Safety issues
The quality and safety of machines, tools, moulds and components, must be maintained and protected. Coated surfaces may have to be stripped periodically for recoating.
Conventional methods are increasingly problematic The quality and safety of machines, tools, moulds and components, must be maintained and protected. Coated surfaces may have to be stripped periodically for recoating. Various cleaning methods have been in use for decades. Many commonplace practices involving all types of solvents, often with many hours of manual labor.
Sand blasting, powder blasting, grit blasting, etc. methods are often problematic. They do the job, but often take away surface material and thereby may damage the substrate. Therefore conventional blasting methods can create more problems rather than solutions to their users.
Water and steam blasting within complex machines/ equipment systems is never advisable. Electric parts and electronics can be damaged and safety is an issue.
Solvents containing CFC's have been outlawed since some time now, with more demanding legislation yet to come. Biodegradable "friendly agents" are unfortunately not very effective in many applications, plus the ever increasing cost of manual labor is a factor.
Industrial cleaning with solvents and manual labor and the aforesaid well known blasting technologies, are practiced everywhere, but can be time consuming, costly, possibly hazardous to people and equipment, and often do not produce satisfactory results.
Dry Ice Blasting Equipment
Blasting Machine with Gun and Nozzle: 6 Kg, 12 Kg, 20 Kg, 30 Kg, 50 Kg per hour capacity
Nozzle Box
Spare Parts Kit
Air Compressor with Hose: 16 bar pressure with air dryer
Dry /Ice Storage Containers: 100Kg, 200 Kg, 500 Kg capacities
For more details of equipment click here
Services Offered
Cleaning services on call/contract bases.
Renting of blasting machines.
Sale of dry ice blasting machines and accessories
Supply of dry ice pallets.