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.