Dry ice blasting in the industrial sector to extend the life of production equipment and tools
The advantages offered by dry ice blasting are winning over many players in the industrial sector. No wonder! The effectiveness of dry ice blasting has been proven, it doesn't damage surfaces, it doesn't produce secondary waste and its dry process is environmentally friendly. Find out more about its advantages and uses from Nicolas Plentaj, Industry Sector Manager atOnet Cleaning and Associated Services.
How does dry ice work in cryogenics?
"Cryogenics involves projecting particles of solid CO2 onto the surface to be cleaned at high pressure. The temperature of the dry ice is -78C°. On contact with the ice, the pollution layer undergoes thermal shock. The bonds that ensure adhesion to the substrate are weakened," explains Nicolas Plentaj.
On impact, solid carbon dioxide vaporizes, a phenomenon known as sublimation. In this change of state, the CO2 multiplies its volume by 700, producing a blast effect. The layer of pollutant is completely lifted from the surface, with no degradation and noresidue other than the original pollutant. The method has many advantages.
The advantages of dry ice blasting are economic, technical and environmental.
From an economic point of view, cryogenics has the advantage of reducing cleaning time and therefore machine downtime. This minimizes the impact on production, which is a major advantage in the industrial sector. What's more, there's no need to consider disposal costs, since dry ice leaves no trace and creates no additional waste to be processed. Dry ice blasting ticks all the boxes when it comes to respect for the environment, and is an attractive addition to any industrial activity committed to responsible business practices.
"Finally, the cryogenic service is often considered by industrial players as a service that facilitates maintenance and contributes to the lifespan of production equipment, especially as the process does not alter the treated surfaces," notes Nicolas Plentaj.
Maintain the hygiene and cleanliness of your environments and infrastructures
Cryogenics has a wide range of applications in many industrial sectors
Dry ice blasting had its beginnings in the space and aerospace industries, with the cleaning of high-value parts. With the miniaturization of machines and the development of an increasingly dense dry ice distribution network, dry ice blasting has become the number one technology for industrial cleaning.
Examples of applications are many and varied, and we'll take a closer look at some of them in three industrial sectors: automotive, food and beverage, and power generation.
Thanks to dry ice blasting, the automotive industry benefits from substantial savings, thanks to a considerable reduction in cleaning time from :
- Welding lines
- Moulds (permanent, injection, extrusion, welding, compression, for parts in plastic, rubber, metal, polyurethane, etc.)
- Core box
- Electrostatic paints
- Gearbox
- Production equipment and conveyors
- Hot-melt and dispenser glue
- Electric motors, fans, structural components, general maintenance and servicing
Dry ice blasting is used in various sectors of the food industry, such as :
food and beverage production, the chocolate industry, industrial bakery, pizza and pasta production, cooking-extrusion, ready-to-use foods, animal feed, etc.
The food industry quickly discovered this cleaning technique for the cleaning of :
- Conveyor ovens, pull chains, fryers, mixers, shelves, trays, carts
- Industrial waffle irons, waffle moulds, chocolate moulds, cereal moulds...
- Different types of food residues (cheese, tomato, pasta, caramel, chocolate, etc.)
- Cooked and charred residues, grease
- Drying trays for extruded and steam-dried products
- Food processing machines, mixers (knife blades)
- Kitchen hoods
- Roller conveyors, air conveyors and packaging machines (paper dust removal, fusible glue, glue head glue)
- Walls, ceilings, ...
In the field of electrical energy, dry ice blasting is highly recommended for :
cleaning of energized and de-energized equipment:
- Rotors and transformers
- Turbines
- Transformers and substations
- Insulation and substation penetrations
- AC/DC motors
- Electrical cabinets
- Armatures and housings, circuit breakers and switchgear
- Nuclear decontamination
- Heat exchangers
- Automated and robotized projects (e.g. nuclear power plants)
Mobile trucks for cryogenic cleaning
Onet Cleaning and Associated Services has equipped itself witha fleet of mobile trucks that travel to customer sites. Based on Mercedes Sprinter trucks, they feature a reinforced floor to support the on-board compressor, and two side doors. These doors open for easy connection and removal of compressor exhaust. Ice is transported in an insulated compartment, and the vehicle is fitted with a CO2-detecting foam balloon. Finally, the air extractor saves valuable time.
"Thanks to our mobile trucks, our interventions are not dependent on the customer's air network and its humidity level," explains Nicolas Plentaj. "When we go into the customer's air network, we sometimes find that the air is too humid. In this case, the water in the air will promote freezing, and the ice will not sublimate", he continues.
These trucks ensure that cryogenic cleaning can always be carried out, and that customers don't lose time because of postponed interventions.
Specific dry ice blasting training for our agents
Onet Cleaning and Associated Services together with its partner supplier BG Technologies, has developed a training program that combines theory and practical application.
Agents become familiar with the equipment and learn safety instructions, particularly those relating to the accumulation of CO2 in a confined environment, the use of the CO2 detector, etc...
"Mastering the use of equipment is crucial when you consider that some cleaning operations require up to 12 to 15 bars of pressure. They learn to combine the settings for the number of kg of ice per hour/pressure, and to work in pairs," explains Nicolas Plentaj. In fact, one agent is positioned close to the mobile truck and checks the data, while the other operates the blast gun or cryogenic cleaner. These training courses guarantee customers quality services, carried out in strict compliance with safety regulations and the cleaning process.
Cryogenic exfoliation, the other technique offered by cryogenics
Dry ice blasting is essentially non-abrasive. As a result, it reaches its technical limits when a highly abrasive treatment or blasting result is required.
However, cryogenic scrubbing now makes it possible to carry out procedures that were previously only possible using a sandblaster.
This technique has many applications:
- Rust removal and paint stripping.
- Pickling with roughening effect.
- Sandblasting/stripping with dry ice cooling (to avoid thermal deformation) as preparation for galvanizing, painting or powder coating.
- New cleaning applications in various fields (facade cleaning, bridge renovation, monument cleaning and restoration, vehicle stripping, boat renovation and refurbishment, etc.).
Cryogenic scrubbing combines the advantages of abrasive scrubbing with the cleaning efficiency of dry ice, resulting in :
- A considerable reduction in the amount of abrasive agent required, compared with traditional sandblasting or scrubbing: up to 90% reduction in abrasive consumption, depending on the application and abrasive used.
- Significant reduction in secondary waste: less abrasive residue, less dust caused by abrasives, lower abrasive costs and lower waste disposal and treatment costs.
- Dry ice disappears completely on impact (sublimation of dry ice)
- Cleaning up after the job is much easier and faster.
- Truly ecological scrubbing/stripping with maximum respect for the environment.
The Onet Cleaning and Associated Services teams are at your disposal to provide cryogenic cleaning and scrubbing services on your industrial sites.
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