Cold Jet Dry Ice Cleaning of Precision Board Tools

Are you considering dry ice cleaning of a Precision Board HDU tool, but not sure if it can handle the pressure? We had Cold Jet, a pioneer in dry ice blasting and global expert on dry ice technology, dry ice blast a PBLT-70 tool coated with FSC-88 WB Primer.

The results? Dry ice cleaning removed the primer and left the Precision Board HDU surface smooth and with no visible surface deterioration.

The test replicated cleaning contaminants off of a fouled mold without damaging the material, allowing for multiple cycles of cleaning and resealing of a Precision Board tool. Read on for technical settings and comments from Cold Jet on dry ice cleaning of a Precision Board tool.

dry ice cleaning

Dry ice blasting is similar in concept to sand or water blasting, but dry ice blasting uses non-abrasive media in the form of recycled CO2 pellets that will not damage surfaces. The combination of dry ice blasting’s kinetic energy and thermal effects break the connection between the contaminant and surface, lifting it away. Unlike blasting with other media, dry ice does not leave any secondary waste, because the dry ice particles sublimate upon impact – converting from solid to gas.

Dry ice cleaning can help meet strict industry demands by providing a composite tool cleaning solution that is fast, delicate and does not use chemicals or solvents. It is a non-abrasive cleaning solution that extends the life of molds and equipment by eliminating the need for harsh chemicals, wire brushes and coarse pads.

Tooling used for, but not limited to, compression molding, resin transfer molding, extrusion, pre-pregging and wet-layup are all exceptional applications for dry ice blast cleaning.

Testing was done on a sample of Precision Board PBLT-70 partially coated with FSC-88 WB Surface Primer. Cold Jet used the i3 MicroClean, with conventional block dry ice, MC88 nozzle, and 60 psi blast pressure.

According to Steve Wilson, Director of Global Business Development for Cold Jet, “the contaminant on this sample required a little less pressure than the uncoated sample of PBLT-75 that we also tested, but could be dialed in to clean quite nicely.” While it cleaned a bit slower than the second sample, the process can be adapted for larger nozzles with the SDI Select-60 machine from Cold Jet.

“The blast pressure is on the very low end of the process capabilities,” said Steve. “There is plenty more cleaning capacity if needed. From visual, 400X photos and calibers, I can see no deterioration to the Precision Board sample surface.” Steve added, “about 2/3 of it has been cleaned so that you can see the comparison between before and after. The surface of the part still feels very smooth.”

BEFORE (400X magnification):

AFTER (400X magnification):

Testing on the second sample of Precision Board, PBLT-75 with no coating was also done with Cold Jet’s i3 MicroClean machine, using the following settings: conventional block, 80 psi blast pressure, MC88 nozzle, 0.6 lbs./min. federate, 2” stand-off distance, 3-4”/sec. traverse rate.

With more than 30 years of experience dedicated to dry ice blasting technology, Cold Jet has unparalleled experience in developing and recommending dry ice solutions to match any need. Cold Jet offers the widest selection, most reliable and most dependable Dry Ice Blasting Systems, Dry Ice Production Equipment, Engineered Systems, and Nozzles on the market.  Visit their website for more information or contact them to get more information about HDU tool cleaning.  We thank them for taking the time to test our material and recommend them for dry ice blasting of Precision Board HDU tooling.

With its roots in Aerospace, Precision Board Plus HDU Tooling Board is specifically engineered to meet the demands of a broad range of tooling and tool-making applications. Both PBLT Tooling Board (up to 200° F) and PBHT Tooling Board (up to 300° F) possess excellent machining characteristics and dimensional stability for tool-making. It is ideal for soft tooling and rapid prototyping because it can be more rapidly machined and it is more economical than alloy or epoxy-based alternatives.

Interested in trying your own test on Precision Board?  You can get a free sample or call our technical team with your questions at 800-845-0745.