Industrial Dry Ice Blasting Services Across the Midwest

Interstate Blasting provides mobile dry ice blasting for industrial equipment, machinery, production areas, and difficult-to-clean surfaces throughout Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota. Our controlled, non-abrasive process removes stubborn buildup without adding water, chemicals, or secondary blasting media.

Powerful Cleaning Without Abrasive Media

What Is Dry Ice Blasting?

Dry ice blasting is an industrial cleaning process that propels solid carbon dioxide pellets toward a contaminated surface using compressed air. When the pellets strike the surface, a combination of impact, rapid cooling, and sublimation helps break the bond between the contaminant and the underlying material.

Because the dry ice converts directly from a solid into a gas, the process does not leave sand, water, or another blasting medium behind. Cleanup is generally limited to the material removed from the surface.

Dry ice blasting can offer several advantages for industrial facilities:

Non-abrasive cleaning for many sensitive surfaces
No water or liquid cleaning residue
No secondary blasting media to collect
Adjustable pressure and pellet flow for different applications
Potential to clean certain equipment in place
Reduced disassembly and post-cleaning downtime in appropriate applications

Every project begins with an evaluation of the surface, contaminant, equipment, operating environment, and desired result. Dry ice blasting is not the right solution for every coating or substrate, so Interstate Blasting selects the process according to the actual demands of the project.

Targeted Removal of Difficult Industrial Buildup

What Can Dry Ice Blasting Help Remove?

Grease and Oil Buildup

Dry ice blasting can loosen accumulated grease, oil, and production residue from machinery, housings, components, and other industrial surfaces without introducing additional water.

Production Residue

Remove material left behind by manufacturing processes, including carbon deposits, release agents, powders, films, and other recurring buildup that can affect equipment performance.

Adhesives and Labels

Dry ice blasting may help release certain adhesives, labels, tapes, and sticky residue from equipment and surfaces while limiting aggressive abrasion to the underlying material.

Soot and Smoke Residue

The process can remove soot, smoke residue, and carbon buildup from appropriate structural surfaces, machinery, and equipment following fires, equipment malfunctions, or prolonged industrial use.

Mold and Tooling Buildup

Clean molds, dies, tooling, and detailed components by removing release agents, residue, and production buildup that can interfere with product quality or equipment operation.

Paint and Coating Residue

Dry ice blasting can remove certain paints, coatings, overspray, and surface films when the material and bond are appropriate for a non-abrasive cleaning method.

Mobile Cleaning for Equipment and Facilities

Where Dry Ice Blasting Works Best

Dry ice blasting is especially useful when a facility needs a dry cleaning method, wants to avoid secondary abrasive media, or must protect a surface from aggressive treatment. Interstate Blasting adjusts air pressure, pellet flow, nozzles, and cleaning technique according to the substrate and material being removed.

Common applications include production machinery, molds, tooling, conveyors, presses, electrical enclosures, processing equipment, structural surfaces, printing equipment, and difficult-to-reach components.

Industrial Cleaning Adapted to Your Operation

Industries That Use Dry Ice Blasting

Dry ice blasting supports facilities where equipment protection, detailed cleaning, moisture control, and operational downtime are important considerations. Interstate Blasting evaluates the needs of each site before recommending a cleaning method.

Manufacturing

Manufacturers use dry ice blasting to remove grease, carbon, release agents, adhesives, and production residue from machinery, presses, conveyors, tooling, and work areas. Equipment can often be cleaned with less disassembly than traditional methods require.

Food and Beverage Processing

Dry ice blasting can assist with cleaning processing equipment, conveyors, ovens, packaging machinery, and production surfaces without adding water or abrasive media. All work must be coordinated with the facility’s sanitation, food-safety, and equipment-handling procedures.

Plastics, Rubber, and Molding

Molds, dies, tooling, and production components can accumulate release agents and residue that affect product consistency. Controlled dry ice blasting can clean detailed surfaces while protecting critical dimensions and finishes.

Printing and Packaging

Printing presses, rollers, adhesive systems, packaging equipment, and production components can collect ink, glue, labels, and other recurring residue. Dry ice blasting provides a targeted method for cleaning suitable components and surfaces.

Automotive and Transportation

Dry ice blasting can be used on vehicle components, production equipment, frames, tooling, and machinery where oil, grease, adhesives, carbon, or surface residue must be removed without aggressive abrasion.

Electrical and Energy Facilities

When properly planned and controlled, dry ice blasting may be used for certain electrical components, generators, motors, control equipment, and power-related machinery. The condition of the equipment and all site-specific electrical safety requirements must be evaluated before work begins.

Agricultural Operations

Agricultural facilities and equipment can develop layers of grease, dust, residue, and production buildup. Mobile dry ice blasting allows appropriate machinery and surfaces to be cleaned at the facility instead of transported off-site.

A Controlled Approach From Evaluation to Inspection

Our Dry Ice Blasting Process

Evaluate the Surface and Contaminant

Interstate Blasting begins by reviewing the equipment or surface, the material that needs to be removed, access conditions, operating environment, and desired result. This evaluation helps determine whether dry ice blasting is appropriate and what controls the project will require.

Prepare the Site and Blasting Plan

Our team develops a project-specific plan covering equipment access, ventilation, containment, safety precautions, air supply, pellet size, pressure, and scheduling. When appropriate, a small test area may be completed before full production begins.

Clean, Inspect, and Complete the Project

The crew performs the blasting using settings selected for the substrate and contaminant. Removed material is contained or collected as required, and the cleaned surface is inspected to confirm the agreed project objective has been achieved.

Representative Dry Ice Blasting Scenario

Cleaning Production Equipment During a Planned Shutdown

A Midwest manufacturer preparing for scheduled maintenance needs to remove baked-on grease, adhesive residue, and production buildup from conveyor components and machinery housings. Pressure washing would introduce unwanted moisture, while aggressive abrasive blasting could alter sensitive surfaces.

After evaluating the equipment, a dry ice blasting crew establishes ventilation and containment, protects adjacent areas, and tests the process on a small section. Air pressure, pellet flow, and nozzle selection are then adjusted to remove the buildup while preserving the underlying equipment.

The machinery is cleaned in place during the scheduled shutdown. Because the dry ice sublimates on impact, cleanup focuses on collecting the material removed from the equipment rather than spent blasting media or wastewater. Following inspection, the facility can continue with its maintenance and restart procedures.

This representative scenario illustrates how dry ice blasting may be used. Actual project methods, schedules, and results depend on the surface, contaminant, operating environment, and facility requirements.

Related Industrial Blasting and Cleaning Services

Media Blasting

When a project requires heavier rust removal, coating removal, or a defined surface profile for painting, mobile media blasting provides a more aggressive surface-preparation option for steel, concrete, equipment, and industrial structures.

Laser Cleaning

Laser cleaning precisely removes rust, oxides, coatings, and contaminants from targeted areas using a controlled, non-contact process that produces minimal secondary material.

Industrial Pressure Washing

Industrial pressure washing uses hot or cold water to remove heavy dirt, grease, grime, and buildup from equipment, floors, structures, and facility work areas.

Industrial Cleaning

For projects involving multiple surfaces or cleaning challenges, industrial cleaning services can combine dry ice blasting with other appropriate methods to address equipment, production areas, and facility surfaces.

Dry Ice Blasting Across Wisconsin and the Midwest

Interstate Blasting is based in Lodi, Wisconsin, and travels throughout five Midwest states to provide mobile dry ice blasting at industrial facilities, commercial properties, agricultural operations, and active job sites. Service availability depends on project size, scheduling, equipment requirements, and site conditions.

Wisconsin

Based in Lodi, Interstate Blasting provides dry ice blasting throughout Wisconsin, including Madison, Milwaukee, Green Bay, the Fox Cities, Waukesha, Janesville, Oshkosh, Eau Claire, La Crosse, and surrounding communities.

Illinois

Our mobile crews travel throughout Illinois for dry ice blasting projects in Chicago, Rockford, Aurora, Naperville, Bloomington–Normal, northern Illinois, central Illinois, and surrounding industrial markets.

Iowa

Interstate Blasting serves manufacturers, agricultural operations, contractors, and industrial facilities throughout Iowa, including Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Davenport, Sioux City, and the Quad Cities.

Michigan

Mobile dry ice blasting is available for qualifying industrial and commercial projects throughout Michigan. Our team coordinates travel, equipment, compressed-air requirements, site access, and scheduling according to the scope of work.

Minnesota

We provide mobile dry ice blasting throughout Minnesota, including Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Rochester, Duluth, and surrounding industrial communities.

Dry Ice Blasting FAQs

Common Questions About Dry Ice Blasting

Does dry ice blasting leave a mess behind?

Dry ice pellets sublimate into gas when they strike the surface, so they do not leave sand, grit, water, or another blasting medium behind. The process still dislodges grease, paint, soot, residue, and other contaminants, which must be contained and collected appropriately.

Can dry ice blasting damage equipment or surfaces?

Dry ice blasting is non-abrasive compared with traditional abrasive blasting, but every surface and contaminant responds differently. Interstate Blasting evaluates the substrate and adjusts pressure, pellet flow, nozzle selection, and technique to reduce the risk of damage. Testing may be recommended for sensitive materials.

Does equipment need to be disassembled before dry ice blasting?

Not always. One of the potential advantages of dry ice blasting is the ability to clean certain equipment in place. However, guards, covers, components, or sensitive areas may still need to be removed or protected depending on access and safety requirements.

Is dry ice blasting appropriate for food-processing or electrical equipment?

It can be useful in both environments because it does not introduce water or secondary blasting media. However, that does not automatically make every application appropriate. Food-safety procedures, electrical conditions, ventilation, equipment status, and facility-specific requirements must be reviewed before work begins.

How much does industrial dry ice blasting cost?

Pricing depends on the project size, contaminant, surface, access, containment, compressed-air requirements, dry ice consumption, travel, and expected production rate. Interstate Blasting evaluates the scope of work before providing a project-specific quote.