Dry ice technology geared to mould cleaning

Close-up view of Cold Jet dry ice cleaning demonstration at Euromold

At the Euromold and Fakuma exhibitions in Germany last year, Cold Jet, the US dry ice mould cleaning technology firm, showed its new Plastics Edition. This is a line of accessories which is packaged with Cold Jet’s enhanced Aero Series dry ice cleaning systems and dedicated to the plastics industry.

The company has streamlined the Aero Series to three levels of functionality. In addition to the standard benefits of the Aero base model, the mid-level Aero 40FP and top-of-the-line Aero 80FP systems offer full range of pressure (FP); increased feed rates; compatibility with larger blast hoses and more innovative applicators; advanced SureFlow agitation systems with thumper, ramrod and vibrators; and feature an innovative Advanced Radial Feeding System.

Cold Jet’s patented shaved dry ice MicroParticle technology is used in other ranges, the i3 MicroClean and SDI Select 60.

In a Cold Jet webinar hosted by Plastics News Europe in November, Steve Wilson, managing director for vertical markets, said dry ice particle size ranges from 3 mm down to 0.3 mm. The microparticles can penetrate complex geometries in moulds, he said.

Dry ice cleaning is up to six times faster than other methods, said Wilson, as the cleaning can be done while the mould is still in the machine. As there is no wear from using dry ice, mould life can be extended.

“We often get asked about thermal shock. Dry ice slightly lowers mould surface temperature, but not to the extent that it damages the mould,” said Wilson.

Cold Jet also promotes the environmental benefits of using dry ice. It is a byproduct of CO2 used in largescale processing plants at distilleries, fertiliser plants and other industries. There is no waste and no VOCs arising from its use in mould cleaning, said Wilson.

He highlighted other uses for dry ice, including deflashing and deburring of moulded plastic parts, for which Cold Jet technology is suitable.