During industrial maintenance operations, you may encounter heavily contaminated surfaces that have often been neglected for years. This is exactly what we encountered at a packaging carton production facility: an anti-slip floor plate, located in front of a printing line, covered with thick buildup of dried inks accumulated over several production runs.
The objective was clear: restore the surface quickly, without damaging the substrate or disrupting production. All with a clean solution, without solvents, and without secondary residue. The solution chosen? Dry ice blasting!
Here is a technical case study that could interest other maintenance managers facing the same challenges. The cryogenic cleaning proved to be the ideal method for this situation.
Intervention context
- Work area : anti-slip flooring (grooved metal plate), operator traffic zone.
- Type of contamination : solvent-based inks, hardened, multi-layer.
- Duration of exposure : several years without deep cleaning.
- Constraints :
- No extended production shutdown.
- No water or chemical solutions.
- Maintaining safety (grip/adhesion).
Faced with this type of pollution, conventional methods quickly show their limitations: ineffective manual scraping (with a scraper), dangerous chemical strippers in a production zone, and high-pressure washing unsuitable near electrical equipment or automated systems.
- Method used : cryogenic cleaning.
Why dry ice blasting is the ideal solution
Le cryogenic cleaning is particularly well-suited for this type of situation. By projecting dry ice pellets at very high speed, you combine thermal effect (-78.5°C), micro-explosion at the moment of sublimation, and mechanical effect on contaminants. All without abrasiveness to the substrate and without producing secondary residue: only the deposits are removed.
It is therefore a dry cleaning method, non-conductive, which allows intervention on or near sensitive areas, without interrupting other workshop activities.
Why choose the ATX25-E V1?
Among the equipment available on the market, theATX25-E V1 offers several key advantages that make it a reliable and high-performing tool for industrial maintenance:
- Working pressure from 3 to 15 bars, adjustable according to contamination level or substrate sensitivity.
- Independent regulation of dry ice flow and air pressure: consumption optimization, better impact control.
- Siemens V20 variable frequency drive : stability, robustness, precise control.
- 15 kg tank, suited for medium and long-duration projects.
- Stainless steel structure and aluminum chassis: for resistance to demanding environments (humidity, solvents, dust).
- Ergonomic spray gun with integrated LED, very useful in poorly lit areas.
In practice, for this intervention, cleaning was completed in less than 15 minutes for a surface of 1,5 m²: without mechanical effort, and without damaging the plate.
Concrete results after dry ice blasting intervention
- The intervention completely restored the floor plate, even in the most complex areas such as the grooves and surface irregularities of the anti-slip texture. The dry ice blasting was performed without any deformation of the substrate et without leaving any secondary residue: eliminating the need for additional cleaning.
- The treated surface could be reused immediately: with no drying time or rinsing required, which is a major advantage in continuous production environments. Finally, the operation was carried out without disruption to the operators present : no chemical products used, no moisture generated, and no interference from sprays or fumes.
- In summary, a clean, fast solution completely adapted to the constraints of industrial operations.
This execution speed and the absence of post-cleaning treatment represent a real productivity gain: particularly in workshops where space is limited and downtime is minimal.
A solution to consider for the printing and packaging industry
This case study demonstrates that cryogenic cleaning: when properly mastered, can be effectively integrated into a preventive or corrective maintenance plan : especially in sectors sensitive to residues (printing, food processing, plastics manufacturing, etc.).
L’ATX25-E V1 proved to be reliable, high-performing, and easy to use: even for technicians with limited experience in this technology. It meets the requirements of an industrial maintenance department: effectiveness, safety, and cost control.
Discover our dry ice blasting solutions: equipment, services and training by contacting us at +33 (0) 4 81 61 02 75 or by filling out the form below
