How Dry Ice Blasting Is Used in Manufacturing Facilities

Manufacturing facilities deal with contamination that affects both product quality and equipment performance. Production lines accumulate oils, dust, and residue that interfere with sensors and automation systems. Molds and dies collect release agents that change part dimensions. Assembly equipment gets coated with adhesives and coatings that gum up moving parts. Keeping everything clean determines whether a plant meets its output targets or falls behind schedule dealing with quality issues and breakdowns.

Cleaning Production Line Equipment

Conveyors move products through multiple stations where different processes add value. Along the way, they collect whatever materials are being handled, from metal shavings in machining operations to packaging materials in assembly areas. This buildup changes how products move through the line and can contaminate finished goods. Taking conveyors offline for cleaning disrupts the entire production flow, so most facilities wait until contamination causes problems before scheduling maintenance.

Dry ice blasting cleans conveyors during short production breaks because it works quickly and leaves no residue to remove afterward. Belts, rollers, and guide rails come clean in minutes instead of hours. The method reaches into tight spaces between components where brushes and rags can’t access effectively. Plants that adopt this approach often shift from reactive cleaning when problems arise to preventive maintenance during planned breaks, which keeps quality consistent and reduces unexpected downtime.

Mold and Die Maintenance

Injection molding, die casting, and stamping operations rely on precision tooling that shapes raw materials into finished parts. These molds and dies collect residue from release agents, lubricants, and the materials being formed. Even thin buildup changes cavity dimensions enough to push parts out of tolerance. Traditional cleaning required removing tooling from machines, transporting it to a cleaning area, and manually scrubbing or soaking it in chemical baths before reinstallation.

Dry ice blasting handles mold cleaning in the press, which eliminates the time spent on removal and reinstallation. The cold pellets solidify oils and release agents, making them easier to remove from intricate cavity surfaces. Dies stay cleaner longer because facilities can perform quick maintenance between production runs instead of waiting for contamination to reach critical levels. This frequent light cleaning prevents the heavy buildup that requires aggressive removal methods.

Electrical and Control Systems

Modern manufacturing depends on sensors, PLCs, and electrical panels that control automated equipment. These systems collect dust and oil mist from the surrounding environment, which causes overheating, false readings, and intermittent failures. Cleaning electrical components with water or chemicals risks short circuits and corrosion. Many plants simply blow them off with compressed air, which moves dust around without removing sticky contamination.

Dry ice blasting removes both dust and oily films from electrical equipment without introducing moisture or conductive residues. Control cabinets can be cleaned while equipment remains in service because there’s no liquid to cause shorts. Sensors maintain their accuracy when contamination doesn’t interfere with their detection capabilities. Plants report fewer unexplained equipment stops and longer intervals between control system replacements after implementing dry ice cleaning for electrical maintenance.

Supporting Lean Manufacturing Goals

Manufacturing efficiency depends on minimizing waste in all forms. Time spent cleaning is waste unless it prevents bigger problems. Chemicals that require disposal are waste. Equipment downtime for maintenance is waste. Dry ice blasting aligns with lean principles because it reduces these waste categories simultaneously. Cleaning happens faster, creates no secondary waste, and preserves equipment function through gentle but effective contamination removal. Plants focused on continuous improvement find that better cleaning methods remove bottlenecks they didn’t realize were caused by inadequate maintenance. nexAir’s KnowHow™ helps manufacturing operations integrate dry ice blasting into their production systems, so facilities can Forge Forward with confidence.