ColdJet:

For years production managers have used dry ice blasting in their urethane foam operations to reduce labor costs, increase productivity, and ensure part tolerance and smooth part release.

See what some of these people have to say about the use of Cold Jet's dry ice blasting systems in their production facilities:

"We've cut cleaning downtime by 78%. Our results show it will save us $50,000 annually just by cutting overtime labor costs."
— Automotive Carpets Mfr.

"We find that online blasting is the fastest for our phenolic resin molds...before you can move to clean the next tool the first is ready for production again."
— Sound Barrier & Carpet Mfr.

"Since all the cleaning has to be done during overtime, the savings were dramatic."
— Automotive Headliner Mfr.

"For our specific use the Cold Jet was more aggressive in the removal of the mold release. I would recommend the Single-Hose Blast System for similar applications."
— Engineering Manager Urethane Foam Mfr.

Does Poor Part Release Have a Hold on Your Scrap Rate?

Cold Jet dry ice blasting is an easy and affordable way to reduce scrap. These portable units make it easy to manage release agents online as buildup occurs to ensure consistent part tolerance and smooth part release.

"We use it (the Single-Hose Blast System) both in our foam spraying operations and in our ABS & Poly injection molding. In the aluminum acoustics molds it removes the wax-based release agents to prevent heat transfer and defects much better than manual scraping did...We use it every weekend."
— Automotive Interiors Mfg.

Cold Jetting does not generate any secondary waste or leave any residual blasting media to clean up or dispose of.

"We like it (the Single-Hose Blast System) because it gave us a much more thorough clean and leaves no residue. Our scrap rate is definitely down...Cost justification was easy, we wondered why we didn't already have one."

"Cold Jetting removes silicone release agents from our molds and eliminates the health hazards...and prevents mold damage from using acids."
— Automotive Instrument Panel & Interior Trim Manufacturer

Timed Demo Results

A major automotive flooring manufacturer recently challenged Cold Jet and one of our leading competitors to clean vertical aluminum tooling. After completing two comparison tests, the automotive supplier purchased a Single-Hose Radial Feed Dry Ice Blasting System from Cold Jet. The following results indicate why:

Using the Single-Hose Radial Feed Dry Ice Blasting System with Cold Jet's exclusive 523 Stealth nozzle, the test began on an 18"X18" (45.7cm x 45.7cm) area using a 3/4" (1.9cm) air supply line with 65 psi (4.5 bar). A considerable amount of wax-based release agent was removed completely to bare metal with 2 passes in just 4 minutes. Each pass with the 523 Stealth cleaned a 2" (5.1cm) swath.

A considerable decrease in ice consumption and cleaning time was achieved with a sustained air pressure of 80-90 psi (5.5-6.2 bar) . However, even with the lower air pressure Cold Jet's Radial Feed Dry Ice Blasting System used 77% less dry ice than the competitor's ice shave system and cleaning was completed in about half the time. A summary of Cold Jet's dry ice blasting results follows:

Average clean rate: 81 in2/min (522.6 cm2/min)
Ice consumption: 1.6 lbs/min (0.73 kg/min)
Total clean time: 4 min
Total ice used: 6.4 lbs (2.9 kg)

In a similar test at a flexible foam seating manufacturer, Cold Jet's smaller Venturi System was used to remove a thick three-day buildup of a water-based release agent from a three-cavity aluminum "clam shell" energy absorbent (EA) foam mold:

Average clean rate: 45 in2/min (290.3 cm2/min)
Ice consumption: 2.2 lbs/min (1 kg/min)
Total clean time: 8 min
Total ice used: 17.6 lbs (8 kg)

Note: Cleaning times and ice consumption rates will vary with the frequency of the cleanings and the quality of dry ice used. Molders report cleaning times cut in half with regular PM schedules.

Beware: not all dry ice is equal! Maximize your cleaning aggression by using high-density dry ice pellets. Dense pellets ensure flawless ice flow for faster cleans using less dry ice!

To calculate your potential savings click here to access our calculator.
And for more specific and technical information see our technical papers.