Dry Ice Blasting: Common Technique Mistakes to Avoid

November 19, 2018
By Brandon Kelley
In Blog

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While many industrial businesses choose to hire professionals for their cleaning needs, sometimes, it makes more business sense to purchase your own dry ice blasting equipment. Purchasing dry ice blasting machines can save a business time, and grant managers more control over their equipment cleaning schedule.

However, choosing this approach to equipment maintenance has associated risks. Whether you’re cleaning your frac pump radiator, your heat exchanger, or other sensitive machinery, be sure that you’re using the proper technique for a thorough clean.

Common Ice Blasting Technique Mistakes

1. Using an Inconsistent Angle

Ice blasting is most effective when the cleaner holds the tool at a steady angle. This technique allows the debris to be removed in a specific direction, as the blast guides dirt and other material away from the dirty surface. Changing the angle creates room for error, and an operator might miss sections or corners of the equipment, or unwittingly blast debris back into an area that has already been cleaned. This can be an especially big problem in food handling areas, since according to the CDC, one in six Americans gets sick from contaminated foods or beverages each year. Use a consistent angle to properly remove contaminates for safer dry ice blasting.

2. Not Using Consistent Speed

Just like the angle of the blast, the speed of the sweeps should remain consistent as well. Moving faster and slower throughout the process can scatter debris, rather than blasting it away. Inconsistency not only makes it easy to miss spots in the cleaning process, but can make the equipment more difficult to clean the next time, as the dry ice machine operator will have to pay special attention to certain areas. Try to make top-down, swiping motions with consistent speed to ensure an even clean.

3. Failing to Plan a Specific Approach

Though using improper technique can leave a job less-than-perfect, failing to pick any method at all when using an ice blasting machine is perhaps an even bigger mistake. Before beginning a cleaning task, take the time to look at the equipment that needs to be cleaned, and mentally divide it into sections. Once you start cleaning, move one-by-one through the areas to ensure no space is forgotten.

Ice blasting is a great way method for cleaning your frac pump radiators, fin fans, and other industrial equipment. However, using improper technique results in an improper clean. Avoid these rookie mistakes for the best dry ice cleaning results.