Dry Ice Blasting Automotive Industry Cleaning Excellence

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Author: Russell Murray

Article source: http://www.articledeshboard.com/. Used with author's permission.

Dry ice blasting is used at many automotive plants for a wide variety of applications. Some of the applications include:

- robotic welding arms and fixtures removing weld slag, splatter and epoxy sealer

- man fans

- removal of grease, oil and dirt from various equipment prior to disassembly

- plastic, rubber and metal molds for tires, interiors and wheels

- engine blocks, pistons, coils and cylinder heads at engine remanufacturers

- sensors and computer components

Traditional methods of cleaning have included hand scraping and scrubbing, use of chemicals and sand blasting.
The drawbacks of these methods include the following:

- Labor intensive - Typically, items need to be taken off-line and cleaned.

- Downtime - The extensive time required to effectively disassemble, clean molds and than reassemble, results in costly production losses.

- Mold wear - Sand blasting can etch or wear down mold surfaces.

- Grit entrapment - Sand blasting can become entrapped and become difficult to remove.

- Liability - The use of chemicals poses safety hazards.

- Cost - Chemicals are expensive. Plus, they become an additional contaminated waste disposal cost.

The Process of Dry Ice Blast Cleaning

Dry ice blast cleaning uses solid CO2 pellets (known as dry ice). It is used in industrial and commercial applications. The pellets sublimate -- convert directly from a solid blast pellet to a vapor (CO2) leaving no residue. The process involves propelling dry ice particles from a blasting gun to impact and clean a surface. The particles are accelerated by compressed air, similar to other blasting systems.

The micro-thermal shock (caused by the dry ice temperature of -109 degrees F.), the kinetic energy of dry ice pellets and the air pressure break the bond between the coating and the substrate. The coating is popped off from inside out, and the air stream removes it from the surface.

Benefits of Dry Ice Blasting for the Automotive Industry

Dry ice blasting (also known as CO2 blasting) addresses each of the major issues regarding mold cleaning. Some of the benefits include:

- Reduced labor hours. The dynamics of cleaning with dry ice can dramatically reduce time requirements. For example, labor can be cut over 50% when cleaning spray booths compared to pressure washing because there is no solvent or water waste to clean.

- Reduced downtime through cleaning in place. Parts do not have to be removed to be brought to a separate cleaning area. Lubricating systems are in area where a large amount of time is saved from performing very labor heavy cleaning methods.

- Reduced equipment damage. On autobody weld lines, dry ice does not damage or deform parts, connectors or fittings.

- Elimination of grit entrapment. Since the dry ice pellets returns to a vapor upon contact, there is no cleaning material that could be entrapped in the wide variety of equipment utilized in the automotive manufacturing process.

- Reduced liability. Chemical solvents can be eliminated removing the dangerous fumes and gases posed to workers. Dry ice is non-conductive and thereby electrically safe.

- Reduced costs. Dry ice sublimates eliminating a secondary waste stream thus minimizing waste disposal costs. Also, the cost of solvents is eliminated. Again, labor can be dramatically decreased because of cleaning effeciencies, reduction in repair time, and increased equipment life.

Russell Murray is Director of RSG Technologies, a dry ice blasting equipment provider.