Why Pet Food Manufacturers Rely on Dry Ice Blasting

With pet spending continuing to rise and industry estimates suggesting the U.S. market for pet food and treats could exceed $250 billion by 2030, pet food manufacturers have little room in their schedules for downtime. At the same time, keeping their lines clean and clog-free is critical for efficiency, safety and compliance. That’s why busy […]

With pet spending continuing to rise and industry estimates suggesting the U.S. market for pet food and treats could exceed $250 billion by 2030, pet food manufacturers have little room in their schedules for downtime.

At the same time, keeping their lines clean and clog-free is critical for efficiency, safety and compliance. That’s why busy pet food manufacturers look for cleaning solutions that are effective and fast – requiring minimal downtime. It’s what some industrial cleaning businesses refer to as “can’t be done.”

Keeping things clean in a pet food plant poses multiple challenges, from the hundreds of feet of perforated, multi-tiered conveyer lines moving food in and out of drying ovens to the debris and crumbs that fall through and accumulate on, under, and around the production line.

Meanwhile, cleaning methods must be water- and chemical-free, and other debris can’t be introduced into the production area. And, of course, there must be minimal disruption to the process.

Unsurprisingly, some manufacturers avoid cleaning until caked-on buildup becomes an issue. Others rely on hand chiseling – a laborious effort requiring as much as a week of downtime. Who has time for that?

Imagine the relief of discovering dry ice blasting, a fast, effective and water-free process that cleans the dirtiest conveyors, dryers and other equipment without introducing chemicals, moisture or debris, and without the risk of collateral damage that abrasive blasting can pose.

Benefits of Dry Ice Blasting for Busy Pet Food Production Facilities

With dry ice blasting, which uses frozen CO₂ pellets that sublimate on contact, there is no reason to delay cleaning of production lines, where debris can interrupt the flow of air needed to dry the product fully. Such clogs pose a risk to product quality and the efficiency and functioning of equipment. They can also pose a fire hazard.

Food production facility managers need a cleaning solution that doesn’t introduce new problems while solving others. That’s why dry ice blasting is increasingly the method of choice in such sensitive settings.

Benefits include:

• Minimal Disruption: dry ice blasting is fast and accurate, and because the pellets sublimate on contact, there’s no collateral debris to clean up
• Safety: dry ice blasting is a water-free and chemical-free method safe to use near food products and uses an adjustable force that can be calibrated to clean equipment as delicate as an electrical panel safely
• Speed & Effectiveness: dry ice blasting is effective at removing a variety of buildup from a production line at a speed of up to 6-8 square feet per minute

How to Find a Dry Ice Cleaning Provider for Your Manufacturing Facility

When you look for a dry ice cleaning provider, look for a company with experience in resolving the toughest industrial cleaning challenges and who can provide a variety of innovative solutions for sensitive settings. This may also include sponge blasting – another water-free and chemical-free method that is sometimes used with dry ice blasting for applications with more abrasive force.

An experienced industrial cleaning company will employ careful planning and containment strategies and assess the most effective method for tackling your job.

Look for a team that can ensure high-quality results with the least disruption, which may include overnight scheduling and customized containment strategies that enable cleaning when downtime isn’t an option.

For best results, depending on your needs, you may also want to ensure that your provider has training and certifications for working in challenging conditions, including heights, confined spaces, or in settings that require the use of respiratory equipment – among other specialized training.