How reducing machinery cleaning downtime by using dry ice blasting is critical and sometimes overlooked

During recent dry ice blasting trials, at a major car manufacturing plant, it became rather apparent of the amount of importance placed on reducing machinery downtime plays in the car industry.

Whilst running the test, a major part of the assembly track suddenly stopped and, suddenly, all hell broke loose! Staff were scurrying here there and everywhere to get things up and running. If the track isn’t operating then someone will have to answer questions as to why and who is to blame!

The shop floor manager then pointed out to me that it is this very reason that dry ice blasting is being utilised as part of the cleaning schedule – machinery being offline costs money and dry ice blasting reduces the time the machine will be offline. It’s a simple equation.

On a very different trial, this time at a large litho printing company, we faced a very different scenario. The works maintenance manager realised the importance of reducing downtime, especially when there are tight deadlines to be met, but the company accountants were seeing things very differently. In the accountant’s world, bottom line is king! Dry Ice Blasting costs more than chemicals (in some cases chisels!), elbow grease and cloths. The fact the machine could be offline for up to 3 days, as opposed to 3 hours, was completely irrelevant. Dry Ice Blasting was more expensive and therefore the service couldn’t be considered.

Our main selling point for dry ice blasting is reducing downtime for machinery cleaning. It’s how we generate most of our business and repeat business. As they say, time is money!

By Ian Reynolds