Dry Ice Blasting Cleans Without Abrasives

Dry Ice Blasting Cleans Without Abrasives Dry ice blasting has always been a great way to clean equipment gently, particularly electrical wiring or other water-sensitive materials. Dry ice works without chemicals or water, similar to media blasting without abrasives. When dry ice particles hit, it’s not just their impact that does the cleaning. As the particles go from solid to gas, they release energy, like microscopic explosions. As a result, they can remove gunk, oil and soot without removing paint that’s strongly bonded to the surface. However, loose bits of paint, rust and mold will be removed. “It’s easier to list the things you can’t use a dry ice blaster for than it is things you can,” says Jesus Anaya, Car Supplies Warehouse. “For example, you can’t blast electrical tape or insulation foam. You want to avoid that.” Dry ice systems consist of a hopper for the solid CO2 pellets, a compressed air supply and the hose and nozzle to direct the flow. They also include a control unit to adjust pellet feed rate, blasting pressure and nozzle settings for precise, effective cleaning. Until recently, dry ice systems were extremely expensive. Several dry ice blasters are now available for as little as a tenth or less the price of traditional systems. “Dry ice blasting was very inaccessible at $80,000 to $100,000,” says Anaya. “For general cleaning or automotive-type equipment, you don’t need that. You may need only 10 to 15 percent of the capacity of the big systems. Instead, pay less, but only pay for what you need.” Car Supplies Warehouse distributes several dry ice blasting systems. Anaya notes that the right system depends on the individual and what they want to clean. “You pay with time or money,” he advises. “The bigger the system, the more you can do in the same amount of time. Also, whatever you spend on a blasting system, you can expect to spend the same on an air compressor to power it.” Anaya’s favorite system is the IB740 from Karcher. It’s sized for semi-truck-sized jobs. The blasting system is priced at $24,500. “The IB740 requires a 20 to 30-hp air compressor,” says Anaya. “The combination ends up being around $50,000.” Dry Ice Energy (DIE) is a lower-cost dry ice blasting alternative. DIE is known for inventing compact, easy-to-use machines. The DIE Champ product line runs from the Basic at $4,950 to the Turbo Pro (nicknamed The Beast) at $12,500. They require no electricity, simply running off the flow of compressed air. The Basic weighs only 33 lbs. and can be operated with a compressor as low as 8.8 cfm and up to 28 cfm. Operating pressure varies from 14.5 psi to 88 psi. The Beast weighs about 50 lbs. The company recommends a 70 to 80-cfm compressor, which can be run with a pressure of up to 200 psi if needed. “The Beast will do 70% to 89% of what the Karcher will do,” says Anaya. “However, while The Beast is only $12,500, the compressor will cost around $20,000.” Anaya notes that DIE’s midrange blaster is the Vario. It weighs about 28 1/2 lbs. and is priced at about $9,000. It requires a compressor with an output from 10.5 cfm to 56.5 cfm. “It’s our most popular DIE model, is super portable, and it’s insane that it cleans as well as it does,” says Anaya. “When we first looked at it, we used it to clean wheel wells, rubber parts, the engine base and interior stuff on a car, even the pores on audio speakers. We started bringing things in to try, and we cleaned everything from a dining room table to watches and the tools in our warehouse.” The one negative to dry ice blasters is the availability of dry ice capsules. Urban areas like Chicago, where Anaya is based, have multiple suppliers. Prices range from 65¢ to $1 per lb., often involving minimum orders and a storage bin. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Car Supplies Warehouse, 1229 Naperville Dr., Romeoville, Ill. 60446 (ph 815-255-9846; support@carsupplieswarehouse.com; www.carsupplieswarehouse.com).

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