They're lean. They're green. They're cleaning machines, made by Cold Jet of Loveland, Ohio.
The company specializes in dry ice blasting systems. These machines make carbon dioxide pellets and shoot them through special nozzles at high pressure to remove unwanted material from a wide array of surfaces. Upon impact, the pellets return to gas and dissipate.
Applications include general maintenance, mold remediation, manufacturing environments, aerospace and power generation projects and historical landmarks.
According to company spokesman Kevin Wilson, many users prefer this process because it's simple and environmentally responsible – no chemicals or water are used. And there's no secondary waste. The process is especially useful in commercial bakeries and other sites where moisture from traditional cleaning can affect product outcomes. Customers in EPA-, FDA- and USDA- inspected facilities across the country use it, Wilson says.
Another market is finishing medical devices; pressurized CO2 smoothes edges without abrasion, making it superior to traditional techniques.
Recently, Cold Jet received a five-year General Services Administration contract, enabling use of dry ice blast cleaning and production systems for certain government buildings and equipment.
Cold Jet is headquartered in Ohio and has operations in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Canada and Mexico. Next month, in Frankfurt, Germany, the company will exhibit its products at EuroMold, an expo for the injection molding industry. It employs 75 locally and 110 globally.
Source: Kevin Wilson, Cold Jet
Writer: Gabriella Jacobs