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  • Solidifying Your Business with nexAir’s Dry Ice KnowHow

    Dry ice is a versatile product that is widely used in various industries. However, most people don’t realize that it’s also actually behind many important industrial, artistic, and commercial processes.

    Dry ice is carbon dioxide in solid form that sublimates or melts directly to gas matter. As such, it is very convenient and practical to use. Because it’s odorless and colorless, it’s easy to handle and mix with other materials. Dry ice also stays solid at – 109 degrees Fahrenheit, making it an effective cooling and freezing tool.

    Because of its distinct properties, dry ice has a variety of applications – from preserving biological specimens to adding dramatic effects in theater plays.

    nexAir KnowHow and Dry Ice
    Dry ice is one of nexAir’s most popular products. We provide safety-certified, food-grade, pure, and reliable dry ice products in various forms like blocks, pellets, rice, and sliced blocks. 

    Each piece of dry ice is manufactured by nexAir Carbonic, which uses state-of-the-art equipment and processes.

    Industries That Use Dry Ice
    Many businesses and institutions rely on dry ice. Here are some of them:

    Food Industry
    Dry ice is widely used in restaurants, supermarkets, and food storage facilities because it helps keep the freshness, color, texture, and taste of various produce and other food products. It is also widely used as a refrigerant to maintain temperature-controlled environments and to remove bacteria, molds, and mildew that can contaminate food and beverage products.

    Medical, Pharmaceutical, Research
    It is critical to preserve the integrity of specimens and other biological materials in medical and pharmaceutical laboratories. Dry ice is used in transporting organs and medical supplies, preserving test samples and other sensitive materials.  It’s also used in minor dermatological surgeries like wart removal as an alternative to liquid nitrogen.

    Industrial Cleaning
    Dry ice blasting is a safe and eco-friendly method to clean metal surfaces such as ship hulls and car engine parts. Its non-abrasive, no-residue, non-conductive features make it a convenient and cost-efficient way to safely and effectively remove corrosion, biofilms, paint, and other coatings or contaminants on metal surfaces.

    Shipping and Logistics
    Transporting perishable goods requires controlled temperatures to keep items fresh during long trips. Seafood, meat, fruits, flowers, vegetables, and frozen food products like ice cream need to stay cold and clean during shipping. Dry ice is an effective and convenient refrigerant that doesn’t require electricity and leaves no carbon footprint or residue.

    Other Applications
    The aerospace, automotive, packaging, maintenance, electrical, restoration, and manufacturing industries also rely heavily on dry ice.

    In addition, dry ice is commonly used in households. For example, it’s used to flash freeze food items especially during power outages and as an outdoor insect repellent.  Halloween decors and shows also use dry ice for spooky effects.

    Forge Forward By Leveraging nexAir KnowHow 
    Our team of experts are always happy to share their KnowHow with our customers. Through demonstrations and consultations, we’ll show you how to confidently Forge Forward with our products so you can stay ahead of the competition.

     

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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!