Cold Jet Cleaning Systems Helping Extend Life Of Casting Equipment And Molds

Atlanta, GA - Metalcasters around the world are recognizing the benefits of Cold Jet's dry ice blast cleaning systems, including the ability to clean casting equipment and molds more frequently and while they are still hot and online. Cold Jet will be showcasing its CO2 cleaning systems to the thousands of metalcasters, foundry operators and manufacturers attending CastExpo in Atlanta May 17-20, 2008. Cold Jet will be demonstrating its cleaning equipment at booth number 1157.

Traditional cleaning processes for metal molds and casting equipment include a variety of media blasting system, such as sand blasting, as well as potent chemical and solvents. These abrasive methods can damage the equipment and often require cleaning crews to shut down production, cool the equipment, and remove the molds from the casting machines so they can be cleaned in contained areas of the foundry. Once the equipment is cleaned, it then needs to be reassembled and heated before production can begin. The entire process can take hours, which to foundry operators is valuable production time.

"Prior to using Cold Jet's dry ice blast cleaning systems, many of our customers have just grown accustomed to the conventional cleaning process, counting it as just a cost of doing business," said Gene Cooke, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cold Jet. "The truth is, it doesn't need to take as long to clean their equipment, and with dry ice blast cleaning, they can actually clean more often, in less time, and at less cost to the business."

Cold Jet's non-abrasive dry ice blast cleaning systems use compressed air to accelerate dry ice pellets and particles to create mini-explosions on the surface of the equipment being cleaned. The dry ice particles vaporize upon impact, leaving no other cleaning by-product, and eliminating the added cost and inconvenience of secondary waste treatment and disposal. Cold Jet's cleaning systems are environmentally friendly, will not damage molds, will clean several times faster and are safer and more cost-effective than conventional cleaning solutions.

In many metalcasting environments, maintenance workers have to clean very hot equipment. Dry ice blast cleaning allows the workers to clean the equipment from a safe distance and without physically touching the hot surfaces or by-products. Workers can clean the equipment more often and because dry ice blast cleaning is non-abrasive, helps to extend the life of the casting equipment. Cleaner molds help produce better quality products, which has an impact on customer satisfaction and the bottom line.

Cooke added, "We have customers that have been able to reduce their cleaning time from 8 to 10 hours per casting machine to literally an hour or less. Because it is fast, efficient and does not produce secondary waste, dry ice blast cleaning is helping to support companies' lean initiatives, as well as serve as a complement to companies' efforts to be more environmentally friendly."

SOURCE: Cold Jet, LLC