Before & After tentor CO2 cleaning of rust and build-up.
Industrial equipment cleaning – Malden Mills. Primary benefit: faster cleaning
Malden Mills of Lawrence, Mass., manufacturers of Polartec clothing, is currently using dry ice blasting to clean large industrial tumbler dryers. The dryers have become coated with years of fabric residues. Previously, they tried cleaning with chemical solvents, pressure washing and hand scrubbing. One tumbler took up to two workers two full workweeks to thoroughly clean. Upon using dry ice cleaning, the completion time was reduced to only one day.
Refurbishing used equipment – Xerox Corp. Primary benefit: environmentally safe cleaning
Disposal costs, proposed tighter limits on VOC emissions, and opportunity for productivity improvements prompted Xerox to adopt a CO2 cleaning services for refurbishing used equipment. By switching to a carbon dioxide (CO2) cleaning system, Xerox has eliminated the use of 1,1,1-trichloroethane and a citrus-based material from the cleaning process.
The dry ice blasting cleaning process is relatively new dating back to the late 1980´s. It is quickly becoming favored to such traditional cleaning methods as steam cleaning, sandblasting or solvents. It can be used in a vast assortment of applications. The use of CO2 blasting is far superior to these from many different vantage points including:
Benefit #1 - Decreased Downtime through Cleaning In-Place
Typical cleaning procedures require that equipment be disassembled and moved to an assigned area for proper cleaning. That is not the case with dry ice blasting. Equipment can be cleaned in-place and hot in most situations. Because of that, many time-consuming, labor-intensive steps which were required with other methods such as sand blasting can be eliminated including:
- Plant cool down
- Disassembly
- Transport of the equipment to and from a dedicated cleaning area
- Reassembly
- Plant reheating time
Benefit #2 - Faster and More Thorough Cleaning
With dry ice blast cleaning, a superior clean can be achieved while reducing hours when compared to scrubbing with abrasive pads or wire brushes. A tremendous labor savings is accomplished. In addition, the CO2 blast method cleans in crevices that can't be reached by hand. As a result, equipment runs more efficiently and potential leaks are revealed possibly preventing major system failures.
Benefit #3 - Elimination of Equipment Damage
Dry ice blasting often eliminates equipment damage. Cleaning methods such as sandblasting leave an aggressive and abrasive effect on the surface. They can actually remove part of the surface, changing the surface structure considerably. Dry ice is non-abrasive to surfaces and does not change a surface's structure. It lifts the contaminants away. Secondly, because equipment can now be cleaned in place, potential damage from moving equipment to and from a dedicated cleaning area is also eliminated.
Benefit #4 - Reduction or Elimination of Solvents
Dry ice blasting uses no solvents, but instead uses harmless CO2 pellets. This can be a critical need for certain companies in order to comply with environmental regulations or to improve worker safety.
Benefit #5 - Reductions in Waste Disposal
With other cleaning methods, whether it be with solvents, sand blasting or some other means, the cleaning agent becomes a secondary contaminant and must be disposed of as additional waste along with the primary contaminant. However, with dry ice blast cleaning because the CO2 pellet vaporizes upon contact, the only waste created is the contaminant itself. This alone can result in significant waste reduction.
Benefit #6 - Increased Safety
Dry ice blasting pellets are non-toxic, non-hazardous creating advantages to the environment, your employees, and production facility:
- No secondary waste
- Safe for the environment
- Safe for employees
- Safe for end products
- Safe for equipment