Weld slag, spatter, resin, smoke, soot, oil and adhesives builds up on production equipment. This causes the fixtures to not line up correctly and prevent the proximity switch from firing in the appropriate spot. The robot stops welding, welds incorrectly creating scrap, and can cause production downtime and equipment failure. Weld lines can take more than two hours to clean completely by using the traditional methods of hand scraping, chipping and chemical use. With dry ice blasting complete weld lines can be cleaned in 30 minutes or less.

Traditional cleaning methods can require equipment to be disassembled, and relocated to a designated cleaning area. Dry Ice Blasting can be performed on-line without disassembly and without the need for cool down or drying time, which can result in a cleaning within hours vs. days. Often utilizing a scheduled maintenance program with Minus -109 will produce a complete return on investment in a matter of months. Intensive cleaning is no longer needed when unscheduled maintenance and breakdowns occur because electricians and mechanics can now quickly diagnose and solve problems without the added downtime cleaning and isolating the problem area. 

Our maintenance systems are designed with flexibility, productivity and efficiency in mind, tailoring schedules to meet the requirements and specific cleaning needs of the customer.

In today’s market climate, the automotive industry is under a constant strain to reduce costs and also have a variety of cleaning dilemmas that need to be addressed. These issues can be solved with the Minus -109 dry ice blasting services which will reduce critical downtime of plant equipment. Minus -109 can drastically reduce time spent cleaning within the automotive plant and increase production uptime up to 70%. Dry ice blasting easily removes excess grease, sludge, sealant and weld slag during preventative maintenance schedules.

E-coat, which is typically removed by hand scraping, can be difficult to remove when too thick or in hard-to-reach locations. With dry ice blasting, E-coat is easily removed from paint shop rollers, hooks, guide rails, electric motors, reduction gearboxes, perforated shielding and the concrete floor. In addition, spray-booth sensors and floor gates are kept clean and clog-free with regular use of the Minus -109’s services.

General maintenance on items such as cooling fans, ceiling fans, walls and superstructures can be a time consuming task that takes away from worker productivity. With scheduled maintenance utilizing Minus -109, these tasks are performed in a matter of minutes, allowing for increased productivity and profits.

Scheduled cleaning maintenance with Minus -109 dry ice blasting will thoroughly clean most industrial equipment, machinery, machine tools, curing presses and assembly line equipment without causing damage. The options are almost endless. Almost any item that is part of a production line can be cleaned on-line without disassembly and without the need for a cool down or drying period resulting in cleaning on the spot, within hours vs. days. Conveyor components, mixers, hoppers, oven bands, extruders, part carrying fixtures, etc… can all be cleaned without chemicals, while oil, grease, petroleum, asphalt, tar and adhesives are easily removed by dry ice blasting, as the lowered temperature of the blasting process serves to weaken the adhesive bond. Traditional abrasive cleaning methods often generate heat and can therefore fail to effectively clean the substrate.
Regular maintenance solutions provided by Minus -109 dry ice blasting are designed to increase production uptime and the efficiency of any production process. Typically regular maintenance schedules with Minus -109 pay for themselves in a matter of months, in terms of lessened scrap product and increased high quality production time.

Today's ink and varnish polymers are designed to adhere to most surfaces, resist scratches, and in some instances, be solvent resistant. Therefore, they are difficult to remove. 

Existing lengthy cleaning processes can now be shortened substantially by cleaning equipment on-line with dry ice blasting. Dry ice pellets have the mass and density required to remove all types of solvent and water based inks and varnishes without damaging equipment or surfaces, resulting in optimal equipment performance, increased productivity and higher profits.
Over time, the printing process produces ink buildup on the gears and deck guides causing poor alignment, low print quality and high scrap rates. Minus -109 dry ice blasting can reduce or in some cases eliminate these issues.

In many plants, the cleaning of the side frames and print deck mechanism is usually avoided until absolutely necessary. Typically, several hours are spent on each color station to scrape and wipe the critical surfaces. With today's modern presses having six to eight color decks, cleaning downtime can easily add up to several thousands of dollars of lost production. However, when using dry ice blasting, the cylinders can be removed to provide easy access to all surfaces and both sides of the deck can be cleaned in as little as 10-15 minutes before going back into production. In addition, dried out drip pans and fountains can easily be cleaned as well.

Printing with fluid inks at high speeds also creates an "ink mist" of fine droplets that comes from the splitting and transfer of the inks from the printing plate to the substrate being printed. These droplets settle and eventually clog the vent slots or nozzles, resulting in a reduced and uneven airflow, which in turn inhibits proper drying. To compensate for this reduced airflow, the press speed is reduced, which immediately results in lost production and lower quality. Not only does dry ice blasting speed up the cleaning process, but it cleans better as well.

In a typical cleaning process, manual scraping requires 20-30 man-hours per piece of equipment. Using the Minus -109 dry ice blasting process, the same piece of equipment can be cleaned in less than two hours. With this type of speed and efficiency, there is no longer any need to wait for the next shutdown to clean. It is now cost effective to do cleaning between job changes on the press, giving you more production time and higher production rates.

The use of dry ice blasting replaces the use of dangerous solvents, scrapers, chisels and emery cloths without having to dismantle the press thus eliminating many direct and indirect costs such as downtime hours, poor printing quality, increased scrap, wear of machined parts, and disposal of hazardous waste and solvents.

Dry ice blasting has become the preferred method to remove smoke, soot and char after a fire. A fire can cause significant damage and charring to wood, brick, concrete and other building materials. This damage is unsightly and holds odor. Traditionally, the removal method has been sanding, scraping and wire brushing. Dry ice blasting from Minus -109 provides fast and efficient removal of smoke damage, even in the tight angles of trusses, around nails, wiring and all plumbing without damage to the surface integrity. Using traditional methods, three to five technicians could complete a typical fire restoration project in five or six working days. However, with dry ice blasting two technicians can complete that very same job in two days. Therefore, residents have lower displacement costs and the contractor can take on more work with reduced labor costs.

Minus -109 dry ice blasting typically reduces mold remediation time, due to flood or other water damage, by as much as 60 to 80% per project. As in fire damage, dry Ice blasting cleans the hardest to reach areas, getting into places where scraping and sanding cannot, removing all contaminated wood while preserving its structural integrity. Dry ice naturally disinfects because of the extreme temperature which kills bacteria, mold & fungus upon contact thus reducing or eliminating the need for additional cleaning agents and their disposal.
Dry ice blasting has been known to eliminate the musty burnt smell that results from fire, smoke and water damage typically within 24 hours. In addition there is no secondary waste stream. So, when you are done cleaning, there is no need to go back and clean up the added mess that other blasting processes leave behind.
Link to disaster remediation .pdf

Sanitation is a critical element within the production facilities of food and beverages. Minus -109 provides FDA approved dry ice blasting for many applications within these industries. Remove proteins, carbon buildup, grease and other contaminants in your production ovens, without disassembly and while the ovens are hot. Dry ice blasting from Minus -109 is safe, non-abrasive, non-conductive and since the dry ice pellets sublimate on contact, there is no secondary waste to clean up or dispose of.

Production ovens are able to be cleaned on line in a matter of seconds while at baking temperature. The dry ice pellets have the mass and densities required to ensure a thorough cleaning and are made with food-grade carbon dioxide. Ovens are back in production immediately after blasting, eliminating the rising, bearing re-greasing and plate re-seasoning steps, saving significant time and cost.

Sanitation is also a critical element within packaging facilities. Minus -109 dry ice blasting cleans your equipment using dry ice pellets that sublimate on contact leaving no secondary waste to clean up and dispose of. The process is ideal for cleaning hot melt adhesive, dirt and grease.  Clean belts, rollers, conveyors and other associated equipment on-line and in record time with dry ice blasting.

Most packaging cardboard boxes are printed with a wax or clay based graphic. As boxes are transported by conveyer rollers, this box coating is rubbed off and transferred onto the rollers. The coating can build up on the rollers to a level where boxes will begin to fall off the conveyor. Traditional cleaning methods for conveyors require dismantling every 4 to 10 days and scrubbing with solvents and brushes. The Minus -109 Inc. dry ice blasting process thoroughly cleans the wax or clay build up from the rollers while the conveyor is still assembled thus eliminating the downtime and increasing line productivity.

All packaged beverage containers have an ink-jet code applied for information transfer and tracking. As with most ink-jet processes, an unwanted over spray occurs on nearby machinery, conveyers, belt drives, and electronics. Consequently, the ink will redeposit onto the package and create an unacceptable finished product.

Routine maintenance with Dry Ice Blasting Services is handled quickly and on-line, with no costly downtime or disassembly of equipment. Production hours are maximized by quickly managing ink-jet over spray on conveyor rollers, electronics and nearby machinery.

There are significant benefits from using Minus -109 dry ice blasting within injection molding and plastic extrusion operations. As parts are molded, release agents and residue can build up on the mold tool, increasing defect rates. Minus -109 dry ice blasting offers a reduction in labor costs, reduces wear on tooling, decreases scrap rates, and increases production time while offering a contaminant free solution to your operation. Dry ice blasting allows for mold surfaces to be cleaned while the mold is still at curing temperature in the press.

The importance of clean mold cavities is a major concern in maintaining today's high quality standards. The build-up of unwanted surface residues from either the product mix itself, mold releases or the labeling process can create various problems, ranging from product release ("knock out") to inferior product quality and possible damage to tools from over-packing and straining. In addition to maintaining the cleanliness of the molds, the Minus -109 dry ice blasting process also reduces, and in many cases eliminates, the need to disassemble the molds from the press as is done for cleaning traditionally.

The manufacturing of a polyurethane foam product used in sound dampening for autos and vans leaves the manufacturer with molds coated with a wax mold release. Mold release build-up eventually causes "knock out" problems, and, in extreme cases, the wax release agent becomes encased in the polyurethane foam product, making the product unusable.

With Minus -109 dry ice blasting, molds are cleaned in approximately 20 to 30 minutes and the cavities are more thoroughly cleaned allowing maintenance crews the time to attend to other issues.

A major problem faced by all rubber molders is mold fouling. This buildup of cured material and mold release agent causes blemishes and unwanted flash on the final part, making them unusable or, at a minimum, of poor quality. It also makes it more difficult to hold tolerances on parts, which can lead to increased scrap. Dirty molds affect not only quality but productivity. Rubber parts will stick to the mold during removal, which increases cycle time, and in some cases, mold build-up can lead to over-packing, which in turn can cause internal strains to the tool. To ensure the quality of the final product molds must be clean.
Removing and reinstalling molds may lead to tool wear, as well as risk damage to the tool during out-of-press handling. Minus -109 dry ice blasting eliminates many sources of mold and tool damage as they are cleaned in place.

Issues associated with traditional cleaning methods, such as glass bead blasting, are eliminated as well. By using dry ice pellets, rubber molds are cleaned over 75% faster than conventional methods, in part, because Minus -109 dry ice blasting allows molds to be cleaned while they are still hot and in the press. The blast stream easily cleans mold cavities, sprues, gates and runners without disassembly or major temperature loss. Mold damage is virtually eliminated as well as the need for hand scrubbing. Continuous superior cleaning allows for a longer, problem free life out of your manufacturing equipment and facility.

Tire manufacturers also have realized benefits of using dry ice blasting technology. Press downtime can be reduced by 65% due to in-press cleaning, annual production increase, elimination of need to hand drill micro vents, near zero-defect levels achieved, reduction in tool damage and a reduction in the need to re-stamp sidewall lettering. This less intrusive cleaning process is also conducive to frequent cleaning, leading to high safety standards.

Dry ice blasting is a process that can be safely used on electrical apparatus due to its non conductive nature. There is no damage to stator slots, turbine blades or other delicate components.

Electrical industry users of equipment and utilities face the equipment maintenance challenges of operating efficiency and uptime. The dry ice blasting process meets those challenges by restoring both rotating and stationary electrical equipment to peak performance with dramatically shorter outages.

Due to growing demand for electricity, some equipment such as pad-mounted switchgears and substations go without maintenance. This results in less efficient operation and unplanned outages caused by flashover. The "electrically isolated" dry ice blasting systems have been developed to support those applications that involve cleaning various types of energized electrical apparatus so that efficiency can be restored with no power outage.

Traditional cleaning methods can cause damage to the targeted areas. Sandblasting, sanding, and chemicals damage the integrity of the wood while removing layers of material and creating secondary waste. Minus -109 dry ice blasting effectively removes years of dirt, mold, and wear from wood, restoring it to its natural state.

With the traditional cleaning method, multiple workers are involved in a labor-intensive manual cleaning process using angle grinders during a regularly scheduled maintenance shift. This traditional cleaning process is dangerous and requires cleaners to work within the machines in very close proximity to residues and residue dust. In addition, manual cleaning is not fully effective as the unreachable parts of the machine cannot get cleaned.

Minus -109 dry ice blasting can reduce wood press cleaning time by as much as 85%, reducing labor costs as well. In addition, dry ice blasting can eliminate the manual cleaning of presses, dryers and vents, while increasing employee safety and health. Because the dry ice pellets sublimate on contact there is no secondary waste to clean up or dispose of.

Minus -109 dry ice blasting not only offers a less harmful, more effective way to clean vs. traditional pressure washing and chemical solvents, but also sanitizes surfaces reducing the likelihood of sea slime, algae and mussels attaching itself to the surface. Completely remove organisms and anti-fading paint from ship hulls, seawater intake valves, engine rooms, etc…

The restoration of historical or valuable monuments is difficult to achieve without damage to the target area using traditional cleaning methods. Minus -109 dry ice blasting offers a way to remove decades of build up, without harming the original item. Because dry ice pellets sublimate on contact there is nor pitting, scratching or denting of the original material. In addition, there is no secondary waste clean up or removal and the use of chemicals are avoided.

Without the need for cool down or drying time, Minus -109 dry ice blasting is an effective way to clean transit surfaces and vehicles, with little downtime. Effectively remove graffiti and unwanted particulates from all surfaces without the need of secondary waste clean up.