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  • Top Uses for Dry Ice Blasting

    Top Uses for Dry Ice Blasting

    Potent, versatile, and unique, dry ice or carbon dioxide in solid form, has a wide range of applications in businesses, industries, and even domestic households.

    Dry ice blasting has emerged as a novel, more convenient, and increasingly practical and affordable alternative to traditional cleaning methods like manual cleaning with solvents and soda, sand, and water blasting.

    From food packaging, general maintenance, automotive, and aerospace industries to printing, contract cleaning, and plastics and molded product industries, dry ice blasting has a wide range of applications. Let’s take a look at some of its top uses.

     

    Aerospace and Aircraft Industry

    Dry ice blasting is highly effective in cleaning electrically charged workspaces and equipment like the ones found in the aviation and aerospace industries. The dry ice blasting process is used for cleaning brake components, landing gear, wiring, foam insulation, coatings, carbon materials, aviation grease, and other carbon materials found in aerospace facilities.

     

    Food and Beverage Processing

    Maintaining the cleanliness and sanitation of surfaces and equipment where food is processed is a production manager’s ultimate concern.

    Frequently removing flour, grease, oil, caked-on dust, baked-on carbon, and other stubborn residues from baking and production equipment is essential for maintaining food products’ quality and preventing bacterial growth.

    However, traditional methods like manual scrubbing with water, solvents, chemicals, and brushes are costly, labor-intensive, inefficient, and time-consuming.

    Dry ice blasting not only removes dirt, grease, and leftover food from grills, stovetops, utensils, and pots in record time, but the carbon dioxide pellets used in the process do not contaminate the food surfaces or cooking equipment.

     

    Automotive and Transportation Industry

    Since dry ice blasting is non-conductive and non-abrasive, it can be used to clean all types of equipment in the automotive industry from tire manufacturing equipment, robotic welding systems, and hydraulics to windshields, body sealants, motors, and engines.

    It can effectively remove contaminants, dust, and stains from expensive equipment incredibly fast and in a non-destructive way.

    Printing

    Dry ice blasting can help improve print quality and precision by deep cleaning printing equipment like gears, rollers, conveyors, ink boxes, and rails without disassembling them. Besides removing grease, oil, paper dust as well as ink and paper pulp buildup, dry ice blasting extends the lifespan of expensive equipment parts while reducing waste.

    Rubber Industry

    The accumulation of mold release agents and cured materials in molds is one of the greatest problems faced by rubber molders since it makes the mold unusable and can cause the production line to shut down for cleaning. 

    Dry ice blasting can remove the mold directly in the press without taking equipment apart.

    Medical Field

    Dry ice blasting is extremely efficient for deep cleaning and disinfecting medical tools, laboratories, wards, and pharmaceutical facilities with its pressure, freezing temperatures, and absence of residue. It’s an efficient and safe cleaning tool that doesn’t cause damage or fatalities.

    Restoration and Remediation

    Dry ice blasting restores the shine and luster of artifacts and monuments by gently removing paint, mold, dust, dirt, and contaminants from surfaces in a non-abrasive, environmentally safe way without producing secondary waste. In contrast, manual cleaning methods that use chemicals and solvents can cause scratches, damage, and cracks on monuments’ surfaces.

     

    Leverage nexAir KnowHow to Forge Forward 

    Now that you’re aware of the various applications of dry ice blasting, you can leverage nexAir’s KnowHow in various industries to Forge Forward.

    Our KnowHow and team of dry ice experts can help you maximize dry ice blasting’s benefits while reducing costs by optimizing your cleaning processes with the appropriate methods, materials, and techniques.

    If you have any questions or doubts, contact us today, and we’ll help your business Forge Forward with practical and smart dry ice blasting solutions.

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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!