What is dry ice blasting?

Dry ice blasting (CO₂ blasting) is a non-abrasive, non-conductive industrial cleaning method that uses solid CO₂ pellets accelerated by compressed air. Pellets sublimate on impact, leaving no secondary waste — only the original contaminant for disposal.

Is dry ice blasting safe on electrical equipment?

Yes. CO₂ is a non-conductive dielectric medium, so dry ice blasting is the preferred method for cleaning de-energized switchgear, motors, transformers, MCCs, generators, and bus ducts per NFPA 70E procedures.

Is dry ice blasting food-safe?

Yes. CO₂ is FDA, USDA, and EPA approved for cleaning food contact surfaces. No chemicals, no water, and no abrasive media are introduced.

Does dry ice blasting damage the substrate?

No. Dry ice is non-abrasive and does not erode steel, aluminum, paint, rubber, wood, or concrete when used with correct nozzle and pressure parameters.

How does dry ice blasting compare to sandblasting and pressure washing?

Unlike sandblasting, dry ice leaves no grit residue and does not erode substrates. Unlike pressure washing, dry ice introduces no water — no dry-out time, no rust, no electrical hazard, no contaminated runoff.

What areas does Dry Ice Blasting Of America serve?

All 48 contiguous United States, with planned outage support available to all 50 states. Standard scheduling within 1–2 weeks; emergency outage support within 24–72 hours. Call (866) 648-0030.

How quickly can DIBA mobilize for a power plant outage?

24–72 hours for emergency HRSG and power generation outages. Same-week mobilization for standard scope across the 48 contiguous states.

What is the typical ROI of switching to dry ice blasting?

Most customers see 40–80% reduction in downtime, 25–60% lower cleaning labor, and elimination of secondary waste disposal. Typical payback is 3–12 months with Year 1 ROI of 150–400%.

mold cleaning

Dry Ice Blasting for Molds & Production Tooling

Every hour a mold spends out of the press is lost production, and every polishing cycle takes a little more steel off a cavity you paid a lot for. Dry ice blasting cleans tooling in place, often at operating temperature, without altering dimensions or surface texture.

(866) 648-0030 Request a Free Quote

Release agents, plasticizers, outgassing residue, vent gunk, and burn marks build up in cavities, vents, and slides until the parts start showing it. The traditional fix is to pull the tool, cool it, and clean it by hand with solvents, brass wool, or polishing compound — a process that consumes hours and slowly changes cavity geometry and texture.

CO₂ blasting flips that. Because the media sublimates and is non-abrasive, cavities, cores, vents, ejector pins, slides, and parting lines can be cleaned with the tool still in the press and still hot. Textured and etched surfaces keep their texture. Highly polished surfaces keep their polish. Dimensions do not move.

For rubber, composite, and tire molds where cured buildup is heavy, dry ice replaces the caustic dip tanks and bead blasting that damage vents and eat labor hours. The result is a shorter cleaning interval, more consistent part quality, and tooling that stays in service longer.

What We Remove

Release agent and plasticizer buildup
Outgassing residue and vent clogging
Burn marks and gas traps
Cured rubber and composite flash
Resin, gel coat, and adhesive residue
Corrosion and oxidation film on idle tooling

What You Get

Tools cleaned in place and hot — minimal press downtime
No dimensional loss or texture change
Vents cleared, reducing short shots and gas burns
Fewer polishing cycles over the tool's life
No solvent tanks, caustic dips, or media recovery

Sequence

How a mold cleaning Job Runs

01Review tool material, surface finish, texture, and coating before selecting parameters
02Blast a small non-critical area first to confirm the setting on that specific tool
03Clean cavities, cores, vents, slides, and parting lines with the tool in place where possible
04Vacuum the released residue and confirm vents are clear
05Hand the tool back for immediate production restart

Also Called CO₂ Cleaning

Maintenance teams search for this work as mold cleaning, dry ice blasting, CO₂ cleaning, CO₂ blasting, dry ice blast cleaning, carbon dioxide blasting, and cryogenic cleaning. They all describe the same process — solid CO₂ pellets in compressed air, with no water, chemicals, or abrasive media, and no spent media to dispose of afterward.

Our Process

How a mold cleaning Project Runs

Every project follows the same disciplined sequence — scoped to your facility, your safety program, and your shutdown window.

1. Site Walkdown & Scope
A specialist reviews your equipment, contaminants, access constraints, shutdown window, and safety requirements — by phone, video, or on-site walkdown.
2. Plan, Quote & Schedule
You receive a written scope of work and quote. We coordinate JSAs, lockout/tagout, hot work, confined space, and any plant-specific safety paperwork before mobilization.
3. Mobilization
Our crew arrives with diesel air compressors, blasting equipment, hose, PPE, CO₂ pellets, and supporting tools. Most projects are fully self-contained — no plant utilities required.
4. Cleaning & QC
Trained operators clean in place using non-abrasive dry ice. We work in shifts to match outage windows and document progress as we go.
5. Walkthrough & Turnover
A final walkthrough confirms results with your team. We leave the work area clean — no grit, no media, no slurry to dispose of.

Why Dry Ice Blasting

Why Facilities Choose This Method

Dry — No Water

CO₂ pellets sublimate on impact. No water intrusion into bearings, electrical components, or insulation; no drying time before restart.

Non-Abrasive

Helps protect tooling, fins, gaskets, and finished surfaces that grit blasting would profile or pit.

Non-Conductive

Suited for cleaning around electrical components when paired with proper LOTO, PPE, and clearance procedures.

No Secondary Waste

Only the removed contaminant needs to be collected. No spent blast media, no slurry, no chemical wash water.

In-Place Cleaning

Most equipment can be cleaned without disassembly — reducing labor, downtime, and re-commissioning risk.

FDA-GRAS CO₂

CO₂ is recognized by the FDA as Generally Recognized as Safe under cGMP, supporting use on food-zone equipment by trained operators.

Equipment & Surfaces We Commonly Clean

Conveyors, augers, and rollers
Motors, pumps, gearboxes
Robotic cells and end-of-arm tooling
Injection and compression molds
Heat exchangers and tube bundles
Switchgear, MCCs, transformers
Generators, rotors, stators
Turbines and inlet houses
Bakery ovens, mixers, fillers
Tanks, vessels, and structural steel

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you clean molds without removing them from the press?

In most cases, yes — that is the primary reason molders use the process. Cleaning in place removes the pull, cool, transport, clean, reinstall, and requalify cycle, which is usually far more expensive than the cleaning itself.

Will dry ice blasting damage a textured or polished cavity?

No. The media is non-abrasive and does not remove steel, so texture and polish are preserved. This is the fundamental difference from bead blasting and hand polishing, both of which change the surface a little every time.

Can the mold be hot during cleaning?

Yes, and warm tooling often cleans faster because the temperature differential improves the thermal shock effect at the bond line. We confirm the tool's specifics before setting parameters.

Does it clear vents?

Yes. Clearing clogged vents is one of the highest-value outcomes, since blocked vents drive gas burns, short shots, and cosmetic rejects that operators often chase as process problems.

Does dry ice blasting damage equipment?

Dry ice blasting is non-abrasive. Solid CO₂ pellets are much softer than sand, walnut shell, or soda media. The cleaning action comes from thermal shock and the kinetic effect of sublimating pellets — not abrasion. When operated correctly it removes contaminants while leaving the underlying substrate intact.

Can equipment stay in place during cleaning?

Yes. The dry, non-conductive process allows most equipment to be cleaned in place — including production lines, motors, robotics, switchgear, and turbines — provided proper lockout/tagout and clearance procedures are followed.

Looking for service in a specific state? See our locations, browse all services, or explore industries we serve.