Machine cleaning with CRYONOMIC® dry ice blasting

How does CRYONOMIC® dry ice cleaning work for machine cleaning?

This unique technology uses of solid carbon dioxide, commonly known as dry ice, which is propelled in an air steam at very high velocity towards the surface to clean. Upon striking the surface it lifts away the contaminant whether it is rubber or plastic residue, release agents, dirt, paint or other unwanted material. The dry ice then sublimates and disappears. The contaminants drop to the floor and can be swept away after the machine cleaning.

CRYONOMIC® dry ice machine cleaning is fast and efficient

Because dry ice disappears on contact with the surface, no other contaminant is introduced during the machine cleaning process. This allows manufacturers to clean in situations with minimal downtime and without disassembly. Jobs, as machine cleaning, that once took hours or even days may now take only minutes.

CRYONOMIC® dry ice blasting guarantees no additional waste during machine cleaning

The dangers of toxic or polluting residues and wastes are eliminated and there is no more collection, treatment or disposal of hazardous waste in the form of used solvents or large amounts of contaminated sand or water. The machinery requires no post-treatment cleaning, as is often the case with both sand blasting and solvent cleaning, and only the actual residue remains for disposal.

Machine cleaning with CRYONOMIC® dry ice blasting: cost saving and reducing downtime!

As a result of the speed in which CRYONOMIC® dry ice blasting removes contaminants, its users save substantial time. Its application time is either equal to or faster than both solvent washing and sand blasting, without the extensive post-application clean-up time required by both of the other methods. Cleaning costs are thus directly reduced, as are the costs associated with plant machinery downtime and lost production opportunity.

Those manufacturers that are not yet familiar with the CRYONOMIC® CO2 cleaning technology for machine cleaning, will be surprised at the dramatic reductions in downtime.

Typical cleaning problems for machine cleaning avoided with CRYONOMIC® dry ice cleaning

Problems of cleaning in an industrial environment are multiple. The need to reduce downtime for machine cleaning, the desire to eliminate mould wear or reduce the use of hazardous solvents are all factors that affect day-to-day running. In addition the potential damage to base surfaces, accumulations of grease and dirt, layers of old paints, and general grime all can have an effect on the operation of equipment and add to business costs. Machine cleaning with dry ice avoids all these problems.

Traditional cleaning methods used for machine cleaning

Solvents, sand blasting and manual cleaning have normally been used for machine cleaning. Each has specific applications and constraints, and all result in additional environmental and disposal concerns. We list below the different methods used for machine cleaning:

  • Solvents used for machine cleaning
  • Sand or gritblasting used for machine cleaning
  • Manual machine cleaning

1.    Solvents used for machine cleaning

The most common industrial cleaning method today for machine cleaning is the use of solvents to remove oil, grease, dirt and even paint from machinery and equipment. There are a variety of solvents available that are effective and easy to use, making this method of cleaning an important tool in plant maintenance. However, there are considerable risks and costs involved with solvent use: workers must be protected from carcinogens, the cost of disposing of hazardous waste is now rocketing and solvents release severe greenhouse gases and deplete the ozone layer. In many cases solvent cleaning creates more waste that the original dirt or grease, and the resultant waste is considered hazardous.

2.    Sand or gritblasting used for machine cleaning

Sand or gritblasting is another common method of removing dirt from exposed areas. It is useful only where there is sufficient space to mitigate the resultant dust cloud and where the projected sand can reach large open areas of the equipment. It has many significant disadvantages for machine cleaning, including the generation of more solid waste than was originally present on the equipment, breathing hazards for workers and nearby personnel, and potential damage to the underlying surface being cleaned by the abrasive sand particles.

3.    Manual machine cleaning

The age-old method of manually scraping, brushing and sweeping dirt and grime from surfaces is the simplest but least-efficient method for machine cleaning. The soaring cost of labour, the unpopularity of performing such tasks, which often leads to a high turnover of personnel are all problems, associated with manual cleaning. In addition, the complexity of some equipment and the consequent downtime makes this an unpopular choice for machine cleaning.

Whether it is because companies have had problems with one or all these traditional cleaning methods, CRYONOMIC® dry ice cleaning has gained widespread acceptance in a variety of industries as the preferred method of machine cleaning. Industries that now use CRYONOMIC® dry ice blasting include food industries, rubber producers, plastic and aluminium manufacturers, the automotive industry, glass bottle production, paper & packaging, shipping, robotics, dryers and engine maintenance. These are just a few of the industries and applications benefiting from this CRYONOMIC® dry ice cleaning method.

Interested in a CRYONOMIC® dry ice blaster for machine cleaning?

Are you in need of a dry ice blasting machine for cleaning machines? Contact us at +32 9 216 76 90 or info@cryonomic.com and we will be pleased to inform you about the dry ice blasting machines and their application areas.