In the production process or even in our daily life, machines and equipment are items that are always put into use, run at full operation continuously for a very long time. It is estimated that the work duration is possibly up to 12 hours of use (or more) per day, depending on the user’s intent and the workload needed to be done. Thereby, throughout a long time, machinery and equipment will be easily damaged and degraded as a result of not being cleaned properly and periodically.
So, together with the Specco2 team, let’s find out more about the benefits of frequent equipment cleaning. It can consist of proper cleaning procedures, some specialized tools used for cleaning such as dry ice blasters to help carry a ton of work off your shoulders.
Benefit from periodic industrial machinery cleaning
Equipment cleaning is a process in which you utilize specialized tools for cleaning or through the use of cleaning agents (normal to strong). This is all in order to remove or wipe off completely stains, rust, and oil leaks from these objects and keep the machine dust-free, shiny and clean for a long time.
All users know that machinery and equipment cleanliness is a major factor in keeping everything altogether. For manufacturers and factory owners, it means efficient, smooth and quality operation that can produce thousands of products that are worth millions of dollars. For ordinary people, it means you can drive to work without fear that one day, the car engine might suddenly break down on the way to work in the morning and you’re not going to make it on time.
Thanks to periodic cleaning of machinery and equipment, we can avoid issues from arising or happening; timely detect potential damage inside the machine body for recovery, replacement and repair.
Thereby, maintain and ensure the working ability and efficiency of the machine; restore its shiny, immaculate appearance like when it was new and ensure that the user achieves optimal results without any problems.
Below, we have listed primarily 4 benefits of frequent machinery and equipment cleaning, such as:
Ensure the safety and hygiene of the working environment
The process of cleaning machinery and equipment will benefit not only the production and daily use to be clean, safe but also the working environment..
Take factories for example. During the production process, machinery may leak lubricant and grease oil to the floor or be too slimy to hold. This is one of the risks that may cause occupational accidents or long-lasting oil stains which, later on, is going to take a lot of work to clean.
This is not only going to make your workplace look dirty and not pleasing to look at, but it will not be satisfied customers if they, or anyone who decided to visit the factory or production site.
Extend the machinery and equipment life
Regular cleaning of the equipment will help remove stains, rust, oil leaks, and dust accumulations in the nooks and crannies of the machine; thereby contributing greatly to durable maintenance and prolonging the life of the equipment.
If you make a comparison, machines or engines that are regularly cleaned may last longer up to a few years whereas old and dusty ones will face a more quickly decline in usage (such as slow response, regular breakdown,…) and function duration.
What’s more, by cleaning periodically, your device will revive that clean, spotless look just like it was first purchased, and everyone collectively agrees to love that.
It can save you plenty of money on equipment’s maintenance and repair
Not only does cleaning help prolong the life of the machine, but it also protects the machine from unexpected damage; which helps businesses and owners save maintenance and repair costs.
Let’s take for example a motorcycle filter. If the filter is not cleaned periodically, the motor’s filter will be exposed to dirty, polluted air, and dirt will also slowly accumulate on the filter surface; which will eventually lead to the situation where the engine does not have enough gas to burn, causing more fuel consumption and won’t be good news to your wallet at all.
If you keep running without keeping it cleaned, the filter will be broken. We will have no other choice than to replace it with a brand new one.
Help the machine work efficiently and effectively
Not only does it help to save maintenance and repair costs, but the cleaning and sanitizing process together with lubricating engines can also help the equipment to operate efficiently and effectively. Take for example an air conditioner.
If cleaned properly and frequently, the air conditioner will run smoothly, soundly and provide you the wonderful cold air just the way you want it.
The proper procedure of machinery and equipment cleaning
Cleaning will help the machinery equipment to operate more smoothly, but we must ensure that the process is done properly so that the machinery can be cleaned more thoroughly and avoid unnecessary problems that may occur in the future. The process consists of two simple steps as follows:
Step 1: Preparation phase
Before we start cleaning, we have to go through the preparation stage. In this stage, it is necessary to consider the overall details of the machine and its components to determine the current status and condition so that a specific cleaning plan can be made. Where are the places that need cleaning first, which areas need extra care and intensive cleaning, etc.
Step 2: Proceed Cleaning
If you decide to do the cleaning using equipment from Specco2 such as the dry ice blasters, you’ll need to pay attention on how to set up the dry ice cleaning machine, including:
- Prepare tools in advance (air pipes, spray cans, nozzles, power supplies, insulated container, …)
- Requirements for parameters of air pressure used for the machine
- Amount of dry ice required to operate the machine
*Note: If you have not used the dry ice machine right away and are afraid of evaporation of dry ice, you can preserve the dry ice by storing them in high-quality insulated cabinets to preserve the ice in the best condition.
The machine cleaning process with traditional methods (with water, sand, chemicals…) usually consists of 6 main steps (but you can skip a few if you see fit), applicable to the vast majority of equipment, including:
Pre-Cleaning
Usually when we approach the pre-cleaning phase, we will need to use water to damp the surface that needs to be cleaned in order to remove dirt, dust, or mold that can easily be seen or spotted out.
This phase doesn’t require anything in particular, no tools or whatsoever; just enough water to soften the hard or adhered objects from the surface in order to make step 2 easier and more convenient to do.
Main Cleaning
After watering and damping the everything that’s on the surface in step one, the second stage of the cleaning process is to remove any substances, dirt, grease, and debris that you were unable to remove in the pre-cleaning phase using specialized equipment for cleaning machinery and equipment and (normal) cleaning agents or detergents with strong bleaching ability to remove stubborn stains. It can be a clean cloth, a mop, a rubber broom,…
Wash with water
After damping, scrubbing the surface of the machinery and equipment, we’ll move on to the third stage, which is to wash off the detergents from the surface of the equipment with clean water to carry away all the impurities, dirt, dust as well as debris; revealing a more shiny and newer look and in better condition compared to pre-cleaning.
Besides, you can also use a cleaning cloth to scrub directly on the surface of the device.
Sterilize
The final stage is to disinfect machine surfaces after they have dried and are waiting to be used. This will help kill bacteria and other microorganisms present on the equipment using heat or chemical disinfectants for an appropriate contact time.
Industrial machinery cleaning with dry ice blaster: a more optimal solution
As you all know, with conventional cleaning methods, sometimes it is still very time-consuming and expensive, depending on the condition of the machine you are using and the problems it faces.
When cleaning with normal tools, there are still places that can’t be completely cleaned but with industrial cleaning tools, more specifically the dry ice blasters provided by Specco2, you can expect equipment to be cleaned deeply and thoroughly, restoring the original condition without spending too much money on strong detergents to dislodge stubborn oil and rust stains. Not only that, the process to clean with a dry ice blasting machine does not require as many steps as traditional methods, you just need to clean with dry ice, no need to pre-clean, no need to sterilize
Best of all, these machines are extremely eco-friendly, do not emit secondary waste, are non-abrasive and have excellent cleaning capabilities.
Some model of dry ice blasters used for industrial machinery cleaning
Cold Jet Aero Series
The Aero series is one of the entry-level machines at Specco2 that guarantees the best tablet integrity with the most reliable out-of-the-box cleaning ability on the market.
Aero 40FP
Cold Jet Aero 40FP dry ice machine is a full pressure industrial cleaning machine including:
- Aerodynamic loads reduce wear on pads and rotors, increasing machine life.
- Compact motors reduce weight and power consumption.
- The rotor provides stable pellet flow without pulses and precise feed rate control.
- Wide range and full range of burst pressures.
- On-board pressure regulator.
All customized with accessories that will bring out the best in your environment, the Aero 40FP offers new technology in a proven design.
Aero 80FP
Cold Jet Aero 80FP is a full pressure dry ice cleaning system with advanced technology that is highly efficient and extremely cost effective. This is also an upgraded version of the Aero 40FP series with almost double in all parameters (in terms of weight, size) and superior cleaning ability which gives all nooks and crannies together with surfaces a thorough cleaning without spending a lot of downtimes.
Some advantages of the Aero series in general:
- The patented SureFlow Performance System allows the operator to run a full hopper through 100 feet of pipe without poking, clogging, or wasted cleaning.
- Patented Feeder Technology Aerodynamic loading to reduce gasket and rotor wear.
- Advanced radiating power system Allows aerodynamic loading to reduce wear and prolong machine life, while providing pulseless bursting and precise feed rate control.
- Pressure range Gentle cleaning at 20 psi (1.4 bar) to explosive at 300 psi (20 bar).
Cold Jet Aero2 Series
Following the birth of the Aero series is the Cold Jet Aero2 Series – this is the most efficient dry ice blaster available on the market; giving you full control, even when you’re not on site.
Aero2 PLT 60
Built on ground-breaking Aero2 technology, the Cold Jet Aeror2 PLT 60 is designed for applications that require more robustness, making it the most efficient dry ice machine available.
With the SureFlow feeding system, it not only helps users to minimize air pressure loss but also maximizes air supply capacity and limits dry ice waste. In addition, the Aero2 PLT 60 features a 7” LCD display with digital controls, providing an intuitive display that allows the user to easily view, program, or adjust the firing parameters. dry as well as install the machine. Such as setting and saving burst pressure and feed speed parameters.
PLT 60 is IoT enabled through Cold Jet’s 4.0 technology solution, Cold Jet CONNECT®. The system provides remote monitoring and diagnostic capabilities.
Aero2 PCS 60
The Aero2 PCS 60 is designed to give users full control using Cold Jet’s patented Particle Control System (PCS), which allows users to customize dry ice firing parameters. Besides, the dry ice will also be cut into diamond-shaped particles to the exact size selected by the operator (from 0.3mm to 3mm).
Some advantages of the PCS 60 series:
- Performance changes industry. The blast stream is consistent and pulse-free.
- Intuitive screen. Easily view and control blasting parameters and machine settings on the 7” color LCD display.
- Full control provides a level of precision and flexibility even at a distance..
- Programmable applications. The user can set and save application formulations (burst pressure, particle size, feed rate), thereby ensuring the most efficient use of materials and preventing errors during operation.
- Ergonomics. The machine is designed to optimize and combine materials, reducing weight and size with redesigned bellows for greater flexibility and durability.
- Lower noise level and effective cleaning at lower blowing air pressure.
- IoT capabilities for remote monitoring and diagnostics with the industry’s first Cold Jet CONNECT.
PCS 60 is IoT enabled through Cold Jet’s 4.0 technology solution, Cold Jet CONNECT®. The system provides remote monitoring and diagnostic capabilities.
Conclusion
Industrial machinery cleaning can be done by many processes with different tools. But to choose the best option, a dry ice blaster is the perfect way to clean your machine and equipment. To find the best dry ice blaster, you can visit our website or contact us to get more information.
