Kärcher Industrial Products, a division of the world’s largest manufacturer of high-pressure cleaning equipment of the same name, has introduced a dry ice blaster, a highly effective and mess-free method for in-place cleaning that eliminates the need to disassemble machinery before it is cleaned. The new IB 15/80 Dry Ice Blaster uses compressed air to propel tiny dry ice pellets at supersonic speeds so they flash freeze and then lift grime, paint, rust, mold and other contaminants from off metal surfaces. Moreover, the pellets quickly vaporize into the air so there’s no messy wastewater or solvents to dispose of, only the soiled contaminant that can be swept up. Other cleaning media, such as sand or glass bead, can be too abrasive sometimes etching or damaging the metal surface. Dry ice is non-abrasive, using micro-thermal shock (the dry ice temperature is -109° F) to lift the contaminant off the surface. Dry ice blasting is growing in popularity because it completely eliminates the need to disassemble machinery before it’s cleaned. The labor savings is significant, reducing to a few hours what used to take days to do. Furthermore, dry ice blasting cleans in crevices that can’t be reached by hand or via other cleaning methods. Dry ice blasting is extremely environmentally friendly. The CO2 pellets are non-toxic and non-hazardous making them safe for the environment, equipment, the workplace and, especially, employees. This new technology is used in a broad range applications including manufacturing, plastics mold cleaning, machine tooling, printing presses, food processing and packaging, and even mold and fire restoration. The IB 15/80 operates on 120V electricity (5 amps) and uses a blasting pressure of only 44 to 230 PSI. Compressed air requirements range from 150 to 3000 CFM. Dry ice pellets are 3mm—the standard industry size—with consumption between 66 and 220 pounds per hour. The unit weighs 198 pounds and is made of stainless steel. It is ETL certified to accepted safety standards.