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  • Dry Ice in The Healthcare Industry

    Dry Ice in The Healthcare Industry

    Dry ice is a versatile refrigerant widely used in many different industries, including healthcare. A robust dry ice system can help in the sanitation, transport, and storage of medical materials, such as surgical tools and even medication.

    Because it is used in environments that require the highest standard of safety and purity, dry ice must be produced, delivered, and handled with the right KnowHow or expertise.

    nexAir has been a leading partner of medical facilities, research companies, and similar institutions in preserving the integrity of their processes. Where there is a need to keep things extremely cold and clean, dry ice does the job.

    Let’s look at how carbon dioxide in solid form, or dry ice, plays a crucial role in healthcare.

    Medical and Laboratory

    Hazardous materials such as blood samples, body organs, and other biomedical substances can only remain viable outside the body with proper handling. These materials must be kept at specific temperatures from recovery to preservation and transport.

    These recovered organs and samples are placed in a preservation solution and packed in coolers with dry ice. While regular ice or other freezing methods can be used, dry ice is the best choice because it does not leave residue and is easier to handle and fit into containers.

    Storage temperature must be controlled and monitored to keep the material safe and uncompromised.

    Stringent standards and protocols must be followed from the recovery facility to the processing and transplant center. Only high-quality dry ice should be used in medical and laboratory shipments to prevent contamination of the transported materials. Timely delivery is also critical to avoid delays that could put lives at risk.

    Pharmaceutical Applications

    Pharmaceutical research laboratories also rely heavily on dry ice for storing and shipping their projects. Because dry ice sublimates to gas and leaves no residue, it eliminates the risk of contaminated fluids seeping into medicines and other highly sensitive pharmaceutical products such as vaccines.

    Failure to meet the specific temperature requirement of some medications can affect their efficacy and lifespan. A dry ice system is preferred because it is reliable during long trips and will remain effective even when electricity is unavailable.

    Cleaning and Disinfecting

    Hospitals, laboratories, and pharmaceutical facilities require impeccable cleaning and disinfecting. There is zero tolerance for dirt and microbes because people’s health and lives are at stake. Contaminated medicines, medical tools, and biomedical samples could lead to illnesses or fatalities.  

    Because of their crucial need for sanitation, healthcare spaces and materials need the high-grade cleaning capacity of the dry ice blasting system. This provides deep cleaning and disinfecting through its freezing temperature, pressure, and no-residue feature without causing damage.

    Forge Forward With Uncompromised Healthcare Processes

    NexAir, through our subsidiary nexAir Carbonic, meets the exacting storage, transport, and cleaning needs of the healthcare industry through our dry ice products. We provide only the most reliable dry ice in various forms produced in our strictly maintained production facilities.

    We also conduct regular liquid carbon dioxide and dry ice testing to make sure that all industry specifications are met. Our in-house team of experts also provides KnowHow support to our customers through seminars and demonstrations for product use efficiency and safe handling.

    Preserving Health and Wellness

    We have been serving the healthcare industry for many decades with utmost commitment to product quality, timely deliveries, and excellent customer service. Contact us today for your healthcare dry ice needs and benefit from our KnowHow advantage.  

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    Manufacturing downtime costs American companies billions annually. When production lines halt due to gas supply issues, every minute translates to lost revenue, missed deadlines, and frustrated customers. At nexAir, we've spent decades developing solutions that keep manufacturing operations running smoothly.

    The Hidden Costs of Gas-Related Downtime

    When manufacturers calculate downtime costs, they typically focus on labor and lost production. However, gas supply disruptions create cascading effects that multiply these losses:

    • Production rescheduling that disrupts carefully optimized sequences
    • Rush shipping fees to meet customer deadlines despite delays
    • Quality inconsistencies when processes restart after interruptions
    • Overtime costs to catch up after unplanned stoppages
    • Reputation damage when delivery commitments are missed

    For a typical mid-sized manufacturer, each hour of downtime represents $5,000-$10,000 in direct and indirect costs. Our analysis shows that gas-related issues cause 7-12% of total manufacturing downtime - a substantial opportunity for improvement.

    From Reactive to Proactive: The Supply Continuum

    Most facilities follow a predictable pattern in their gas management evolution:

    Stage 1: Reactive Management At this stage, facilities order gas when they notice supplies running low or, worse, after running out. Emergencies are common, and disruptions are accepted as "part of doing business." One automotive parts supplier operating this way experienced 14 production interruptions in a single quarter.

    Stage 2: Calendar-Based Management Facilities advance to scheduled deliveries based on estimated usage. While better than the reactive approach, this method still results in either excess inventory (tying up capital and space) or shortages when usage spikes occur. A plastics manufacturer following this model maintained 40% more cylinder inventory than necessary while still experiencing occasional stockouts.

    Stage 3: Consumption-Based Management Our telemetry systems monitor actual gas consumption, automatically triggering orders based on usage patterns rather than calendar dates. This approach virtually eliminates both stockouts and excess inventory. 

    Stage 4: Integrated Supply Management The most advanced approach connects gas management directly to production planning systems. Upcoming production requirements automatically adjust supply parameters, ensuring resources are precisely aligned with needs. A medical device manufacturer using this approach reports zero gas-related downtime for 27 consecutive months while operating with minimal inventory buffers.

    Our expert KnowHow™ in industrial gas applications allows us to guide customers through this evolution at a pace that makes sense for their operations.

    Customizing Solutions for Maximum Uptime

    Manufacturing environments vary dramatically in their gas requirements and operational constraints. We've developed flexible approaches that address these differences:

    • For high-volume, consistent usage operations, our bulk systems eliminate the cylinder handling that frequently causes supply disruptions. Bulk installations include telemetry monitoring and automated ordering to prevent outages.
    • For variable-demand environments, our microbulk delivery systems provide the benefits of bulk supply with lower volume commitments. These systems reduce handling requirements while maintaining the flexibility needed for changing production schedules.
    • For specialized applications requiring multiple gas types, our gas management programs combine cylinder tracking, usage monitoring, and automated replenishment. This comprehensive approach ensures that specialty gases are always available when needed, regardless of how infrequently they might be used.
    • For multi-site operations, our enterprise supply programs coordinate deliveries and optimize inventory across locations. By treating the organization's gas requirements holistically, we minimize both stockouts and excess inventory across the network.

    This consultative approach ensures that manufacturers receive solutions aligned with their specific operational patterns rather than generic "one-size-fits-all" systems.

    Beyond Traditional Supply: Integrated Services for Total Reliability

    Maximum uptime requires more than just reliable gas delivery. Our integrated services address the full spectrum of gas-related reliability factors:

    Equipment maintenance programs that prevent system failures before they impact production Technical gas specialists who resolve application issues that could otherwise cause production problems Safety training that prevents accidents leading to downtime events Emergency response capabilities that minimize impacts when unexpected events occur Supply chain redundancy that ensures continuity despite regional disruptions

    These services complement our supply solutions to form a comprehensive reliability strategy. By addressing both everyday operations and exceptional circumstances, we help manufacturers Forge Forward with confidence that gas-related disruptions won't derail their production targets.

    Measuring Success: The Results That Matter

    The ultimate measure of any downtime reduction strategy is its impact on production metrics. Our manufacturing customers consistently report significant improvements after implementing our comprehensive gas management solutions:

    Downtime reductions of 85-95% for gas-related issues Inventory cost decreases of 20-30% through optimized supply management Administrative time savings of 5-10 hours weekly through automated ordering and tracking Production schedule adherence improvements of 3-7% due to improved supply reliability

    These performance gains translate directly to bottom-line benefits that typically deliver ROI within months rather than years. More importantly, they allow manufacturers to confidently make delivery commitments, knowing that gas supply issues won't compromise their ability to perform.

    Don't let gas supply issues impact your productivity. Contact us today to explore our tailored solutions.

    Looking out for your future

    Get your career going on the right track with nexAir

    Industry Knowledge and Expertise

    Find out how nexAir KnowHow has impacted businesses all over the Southeast

    nexAir in the news

    Our expertise makes us more than a valuable partner, it makes us headlines

    nexAir is always open!