What’s the simplest way to use a wet or perhaps a dry ice blasting machine?
A standard ice blasting job includes five stages for operating IceStorm machines with safe techniques used by professional ice blast cleaning operators:
1. Educating yourself: Educating yourself sufficiently on the equipment of yours
2. Transport Prep: Preparing all the gear of yours for transport
3. Job Site Prep: Preparation of the job site location for blasting
4. Surface Blasting: Ice blasting surface(s) including quality of ice
5. Site Clean-Up: Thorough site and equipment breakdown clean up
Utilizing the right ice blasting best practice techniques and processes are going to allow you to:
Maximize the productivity of yours
Maximize equipment life
Save on equipment maintenance.
Improve operator safety
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EDUCATING YOURSELF
Always make certain you have read and completely comprehend the IceStorm equipment operating manual. This must be one thing that goes without saying, but you may be surprised the number of operators miss this crucial step. We also provide our clients with an instructional video to help get them familiarized with the machine.
When you’re well versed in the way the equipment works, start with several test runs. Find surfaces you can practice on to ensure consistent blasting performance when cleaning your work surfaces.
PREPARE YOUR ICE BLASTING EQUIPMENT FOR TRANSPORT?
This stage is actually essential for cleaning contractors who’ll be traveling to locations for ice blasting services. Make sure that your equipment is actually cleaned and in shape that is very good after every job so that when you turn up on-site for the following job, your equipment makes a great first impression.
Keeping your equipment clean will significantly reduce wear & tear over time. Moisture, dirt, grime, and grease can find their way into electrical and mechanical components, causing expensive repairs and downtime.
Take the initiative by carefully planning out the location of your gear inside your transport vehicle. This way, loading and unloading your equipment will be streamlined and smooth, saving energy and time.
The final precaution to take before heading out to any job site is securing your equipment. This includes all tools and supporting equipment: ice makers or perhaps ice storage bins, air compressor, aftercooler, nozzles, hoses, and your Coulson Ice Blast IceStorm machine, etc. Make sure all equipment is actually secured for transport.
Setup and job SITE PREPARATION?
Every job site is actually different, each having the own inherent challenges to think about. Here’s a brief list of possible locations you might find yourself setting up at:
Urban public area
Construction site
Boat dry dock
Airport ramp
School zone
Factory floor
Job Site Preparation
The first and most important element on any job site is actually safety. Safety for all individuals near the blasting site and, of course, the actual IceStorm operators. Ensure that your equipment is actually placed in a secure location and not susceptible to the movement because of uneven terrain.
Protect the equipment of yours along with other nearby equipment. Take special care to note where all your equipment is actually put on the site, ensuring exhaust from any equipment is not causing damage to folks and/or other nearby items. For instance, if you are using a gas or perhaps diesel-powered generator, make sure the exhaust is not concentrated in an area where folks are likely to be breathing.
Based on the surface you are blasting and the location (i.e., indoors or perhaps outdoors), you might have to mask off large areas to protect surrounding spaces. Some operators use large sheets of polyethylene for this preparation. Be sure whatever tape you use for masking does not cause some harm to the surfaces you are doing.
Before you begin blasting, make sure IceStorm operators are fully protected. Although ice blasting is actually a safe blasting cleaning method for operators due to the use of ice particles for media, that does not mean the surface you are blasting is actually free of dangerous contaminants. You have to carry out your due diligence to understand the surface you are blasting completely. Operators are actually expected to wear steel-toed shoes, safety goggles, double ear protection (earplugs and earmuffs), and safety gloves. You may need a face shield and blasting suit if you’re anticipating ricochets. These dangers also apply to anyone onsite, who should also have sufficient Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to fight the inherent dangers of blasting. Guidelines for abrasive media safety and hearing protection are especially critical and are fully outlined in your operational manual.
ICE BLASTING THE SURFACE(S)?
There is something extremely satisfying in the action of ice blasting surfaces. Watching rust or perhaps paint get completely stripped off, leaving behind only the pristine substrate, is wholly enjoyable. If you have ever wielded the power of an everyday pressure washer, you will understand what we mean. Now multiply that feeling 10X to imagine what operating a Coulson Ice Blast machine feels like? It is simply exhilarating.
But before the fun begins, you have to take a step back and analyze what you intend to do.
Test the nozzle of yours to surface distance: Depending on your media choice (wet ice or perhaps dry ice), the abrasiveness level will vary. Your goal is usually to remove all unwanted contaminants and coatings while causing minimal to zero damage to the substrate.
When blasting the surface, the distance of yours from the nozzle end to the surface is going to vary between 1.5? 2.5 away from the target. Always start with the blast nozzle further from the surface to find the effectiveness of the work. On places that call for a far more aggressive blast, you can move the nozzle closer. At first, you want to blast a small area and then stop and check your work before continuing.
In order which is short that you are going to be in a position to tell just how close you want the nozzle end to the surface.
Using the correct nozzle: We generally recommend starting with the medium focus nozzle, which is our most aggressive nozzle and will offer you probably the best-focused power to break through stubborn contaminants.
Maintaining a consistent blast: An experienced blasting technician can instinctively find a rhythm to guarantee a consistent outcome across the whole surface area.
You will have to make use of a tight sweeping motion that ensures 2 important traits:
1. A consistent nozzle angle on the surface (most commonly used is actually forty-five degrees to the surface)
2. A consistent distance from the nozzle to surface
3. We also recommend starting off slowing and then adjusting pressure and ice feed rate as necessary
Please stay away from excess blast overlap to maximize efficiency: It is natural for first-time operators to greatly overlap their blasting paths in an attempt never to miss a spot. Nevertheless, this consumes more ice (wet or dry) and slows down production. We recommend reducing overlap almost as possible on the whole surface first; then, take a good look to find out if you missed any spots. When you have identified the spots that can make use of a bit more blasting, go ahead and touch it up.
Be aware of the hose of yours: As you are working, keep an eye on your hose. Be sure there are never any kinks developing as you are moving around from area to area. Kinks in the hose can cause an inconsistent blast, which will negatively impact your work product. Moreover, make sure your hose isn’t near any kind of type of heat (i.e., exhaust from nearby equipment), as that may result in an inconsistency in the blast stream temperature.
Special Note on Quality of Ice Media: You need to expect a change in blasting performance based on the quality of dry or wet ice used in the cleaning operation. When utilizing the IceStorm45 on ice that is wet (regular ice) cleaning mode, colder ice will generally provide better blasting performance and feed rate. Some other effects of varying ice quality will cause sporadic and/or inconsistent blasting.
As a basic guideline, ideal ice quality is actually under zero C, where the ice surface is actually frozen and typically opaque in color. When operating the IceStorm45 in dry ice blasting mode, high-density dry ice, which hasn’t had the exposure that is very much to moisture, will probably provide the best blasting performance.
EQUIPMENT BREAKDOWN & SITE CLEANUP?
1. When it comes time to breakdown the equipment of yours, safety is once again the main priority of yours. Always attempt to stay away from breaking down the gear of yours in haste as you will find great high and temperatures that are low involved and residual pressures that could stay in the product. Probably the most prudent action you can take is actually shutting down all the equipment of yours, ensuring your equipment is fully depressurized, and then wait until all your equipment and accessories have returned closer to ambient temperatures; freezing equipment (nozzle, hose, ice machine), warming up, and scorching equipment (JIC fittings, hose connections) cooling down. We realize that time does not always permit this, so during those times, be sure to use appropriate protective equipment when handling all the equipment of yours.
2. Look for the time to clean all equipment and accessories (another reason behind step 1. above). For the same reasons described above in the first segment, Preparing Your Ice Blasting Equipment for Transport. Wipe down all hoses, blasting nozzle, aftercooler, generator exhaust area (if used), ice machine, air compressor, etc.
3. Load all your equipment back in your transport vehicle or perhaps storage area in the same configuration. This consistency in storing the equipment of yours will protect it and allow for a more effective set up at the following cleaning job.
4. Once you’ve all your equipment clean and properly stored back on your transport vehicle (or storage area), check over your work area one last time. This’s where pride in craft comes in. Take the extra energy to leave the job site cleaner and more organized than when you arrived on the job. Attention to this sort of detail is actually what builds a rock-solid reputation for you as an operator or perhaps as a cleaning business.
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