Using dry ice blasting is so much easier. The sealer is in a dry state, so once it’s removed, it can be swept up and placed in the trash. In man-hours, the machine was almost paid for after the first use.
Dry Ice Blasting Equipment for Aerospace & Aviation
Reduce Downtime, Improve Part Quality, and Extend Tooling Life with Cold Jet Dry Ice Blasting
Meet Stringent Quality Standards While Significantly Cutting Cleaning Time
Cold Jet dry ice blasting machines deliver superior cleaning results for aerospace OEMs, composite fabricators, and tier-one suppliers. By replacing labor-intensive hand scraping, hazardous chemical solvents, and abrasive media blasting with a non-abrasive, dry, waste-free solution, aerospace manufacturers achieve the following results:
- Dramatic Reduction in Cleaning Time: Clean composite tools, production molds, and manufacturing equipment significantly faster than manual methods.
- Maximize Production Uptime: Clean molds and tooling in-place at operating temperature without cooldown or disassembly.
- Improve Part Quality: Cleaner molds and tooling produce higher-quality aerospace components with fewer defects and less scrap.
- Extend Tooling Life: The non-abrasive process preserves mold surfaces and Teflon-coated tooling that abrasive media and wire brushes damage.
- Zero Secondary Waste: Dry ice sublimates on contact—no blast media to collect, no wastewater to manage, no chemical solvents to dispose of.
- Safe for Electrical Systems: Non-conductive dry ice cleans electrical cabinets and control systems without risk of shorts.
- Safe for Employees: Eliminate VOC exposure from chemical solvents and improve ergonomics compared to labor-intensive manual scraping.
Ready to reduce cleaning time and protect valuable tooling? Contact us today to learn how Cold Jet dry ice blasting equipment can improve your aerospace manufacturing operations.
What are the Benefits of Dry Ice Blasting for Aerospace & Aviation?
Meet demanding quality standards while dramatically reducing cleaning time and labor costs
Cold Jet dry ice blasting is non-abrasive, non-conductive, and effectively removes adhesives, resins, oils, and many other contaminants without damaging mold surfaces, composite tools, or manufacturing equipment. Because dry ice sublimates on contact, it produces no secondary waste and enables manufacturers to clean faster and more economically than traditional methods.
Traditional methods (manual scraping, chemical solvents, abrasive blasting) damage tooling, create hazardous waste, and require extended downtime. Cold Jet dry ice cleaning eliminates these challenges and provides the following benefits:
-
Dramatic Time and Cost Savings
Aerospace manufacturers report cleaning time reductions of 75% to 90%. One composite manufacturer achieved complete mold cleaning in 6-7 minutes versus 45-60 minutes with manual methods. Another facility eliminated $50,000 in annual labor costs previously spent on manual scraping.
-
Preserves Tooling Surfaces
Dry ice cleaning is non-abrasive, making it safe for highly-polished mold surfaces, composite tools, and Teflon-coated tooling. Unlike wire brushes and abrasive media that damage finishes over time, dry ice removes contaminants while leaving surfaces intact—extending tooling life.
-
Improves Part Quality and Reduces Scrap
Because Cold Jet dry ice blasting requires no cooldown or disassembly, cleaning happens more frequently. Cleaner molds and tooling produce higher-quality components with fewer defects. The process delivers consistent, replicable results.
-
Safe for Electrical Systems
Non-conductive dry ice blasting allows for thorough cleaning of electrical cabinets and control systems without risk of shorts or damage to sensitive circuitry.
-
Protects Operators
Cold Jet dry ice blasting eliminates the VOC exposure associated with chemical solvents and dramatically improves ergonomics compared to manual cleaning. Operators no longer spend hours in awkward positions hand-scraping molds or using wire brushes—reducing repetitive strain injuries and fatigue while achieving better cleaning results.
-
Zero Secondary Waste
Dry ice sublimates into gas upon impact, leaving only the removed contaminant to be vacuumed or swept away. Without water or chemicals involved, disposal costs are reduced or eliminated entirely.
Dry Ice Blasting Applications for Aerospace & Aviation
Cold Jet dry ice cleaning equipment helps aerospace manufacturers keep molds, composite tools, and production equipment operating at peak efficiency. The following applications represent the primary uses of dry ice blasting in aerospace manufacturing.
-
Plastic and Rubber Mold Cleaning
Mold cleanliness directly impacts part quality, scrap rates, and production efficiency. Cold Jet dry ice blasting cleans injection molds, thermoform molds, compression molds, RTM molds, and extrusion dies online at operating temperature. The process removes off-gas buildup, resin, and buildup from complex geometries and tight corners that manual methods cannot reach. One manufacturer reduced mold cleaning time from 2 hours to 30 minutes while achieving superior results in difficult-to-access areas.
-
Composite Tool Cleaning
Composite manufacturing is central to modern aerospace production, and tooling cleanliness directly impacts part quality. Dry ice blasting removes composite tape, resins, release agents, and fiber-reinforced Teflon tape from pre-preg layup tools, wet-layup molds, highly-polished tools, and Teflon-coated tools—all without damaging polished surfaces or delicate coatings. One manufacturer achieved 90% time savings compared to manual scraping while extending tooling life.
-
Adhesive Removal
Adhesive removal is one of the most labor-intensive cleaning challenges in aerospace manufacturing. Dry ice blasting quickly removes glue, epoxy, composite tape, resins, structural adhesives, and bonding agents from production fixtures, molds, and tooling without substrate damage or secondary waste.
-
Surface Preparation
Proper surface preparation is critical for coating adhesion, weld quality, and downstream processing. Dry ice blasting removes machining oils, EDM spatter, sealants, and burnt-on carbon from steel tooling and metal manufacturing equipment. The process delivers clean, dry surfaces ready for immediate coating or welding with no drying time and no flash rust concerns.
-
Foundry Cleaning
Aerospace foundry operations require clean permanent molds, core boxes, and casting equipment to produce quality metal components. Dry ice blasting removes release agents, resin, and buildup from foundry molds, core boxes, permanent aluminum molds, and die cast tooling—extending asset life through non-abrasive cleaning while improving part quality and reducing scrap rates.
-
Deburring and Deflashing
Dry ice blasting provides non-abrasive deburring that removes material quickly without damaging the part. In aerospace, common deburring applications include removing burrs from plastic and high-performance polymer fixtures. One manufacturer documented complete burr removal averaging just 4 seconds per part—dramatically faster than manual methods while eliminating rework and scrap.
-
Cleaning plastic mold with dry ice blasting
-
Dry ice blasting removing resin and release agents from composite tooling
-
Adhesive and sealant removal from aircraft part with dry ice blasting
-
Dry ice blasting used in surface preparation of aircraft part
-
Removing release agent from die casting with dry ice cleaning
-
Deburring plastic part with dry ice cleaning
What Do Aerospace Manufacturers Need for Dry Ice Cleaning?
A dry ice cleaning setup for aerospace applications relies on several key components:
-
Dry Ice Blaster
A successful aerospace cleaning process starts with an easy-to-use and portable dry ice blasting machine. Cold Jet offers a complete range of dry ice blast cleaning machines designed to handle the diverse cleaning challenges in aerospace manufacturing—from delicate mold surfaces to heavy adhesive buildup. Each blaster arrives ready with blast and air hoses, an applicator, and a nozzle for your specific application.
-
Compressed Air
Most aerospace facilities have existing filtered air systems that can supply the required compressed air.
-
Dry Ice Supply
We can help you identify a dry ice supplier and recommend order quantities based on your operational needs. Once identified, establish a delivery schedule that aligns with your production and maintenance schedules.
-
Machine and Operator Training
Cold Jet provides comprehensive training covering machine operation, safety protocols, and proper cleaning techniques to ensure your team gets the best results from day one.
-
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Always ensure your team wears the correct safety gear, including gloves, hearing protection, and eye protection while operating your dry ice blaster.
What Is the Best Dry Ice Blaster for Aerospace & Aviation?
Aerospace manufacturers choose from Cold Jet’s full lineup of dry ice blasters to match their specific maintenance and cleaning needs. Popular systems for aerospace and aviation applications include:
-
Aero2 PCS ULTRA
The PCS Ultra is the most versatile machine for aerospace applications. Our patented Particle Control System (PCS®) technology allows operators to dial in the exact particle size and aggression level needed—from delicate cleaning of polished mold surfaces to aggressive removal of heavy adhesives and stubborn release agents. This adaptability makes it ideal for facilities with diverse cleaning requirements across composite tooling, mold cleaning, and general equipment applications.
Aero2 PCS® ULTRA -
i3 MicroClean2
The i3 MicroClean2 features intuitive controls in a lightweight, compact design, perfect for cleaning sensitive electronics, delicate tooling surfaces, and detailed work. Its precision makes it ideal for deburring applications and situations requiring a gentler touch. Safe around electrical systems and engineered to protect valuable equipment.
i3 MicroClean® 2 -
Aero2 PLT ULTRA
The PLT Ultra delivers maximum cleaning power for the most demanding aerospace applications. Engineered for high-volume production environments, this machine tackles heavy contaminant buildup on large composite tools, foundry molds, and production equipment.
Aero2 PLT® ULTRA
Why Choose Cold Jet Machines for Aerospace & Aviation Cleaning?
Cold Jet offers a comprehensive range of aerospace dry ice cleaning equipment. When incorporating dry ice blasting into your manufacturing operations, you need a durable, reliable machine. Cold Jet machines deliver faster ROI and greater value than competitors.
-
Proven Aerospace Industry Expertise
With decades of experience in aerospace and aviation, Cold Jet has developed deep understanding of the critical cleaning challenges that aerospace manufacturers and production facilities face. We’ve partnered with leading aerospace companies worldwide to deliver reliable dry ice blasting solutions for their most demanding applications.
-
Industry Leading Reliability
Our machines are engineered to perform in demanding aerospace production environments. Cold Jet dry ice blasters offer unmatched reliability and significantly longer lifespan than competitor models. Aerospace manufacturers rely on Cold Jet equipment for continuous use across production shifts.
-
Lower Operating Costs
Cold Jet dry ice cleaning equipment is designed for maximum efficiency, using significantly less dry ice, compressed air, and electricity than competitor machines. This directly reduces your daily operating costs while maintaining the highest standards of cleaning quality and process consistency.
-
Unmatched Support and Training
Our regional technicians are readily available and offer both expert maintenance services and comprehensive equipment training to ensure your team’s success in aerospace applications.
-
Application Specific Accessories
Cold Jet offers a wide array of accessories including applicators, blast hoses, and application-specific nozzles to optimize your cleaning setup for aerospace operations. Our team will help you select the right nozzle configuration based on your specific cleaning requirements.
OUR CUSTOMERS & WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT US
Aerospace manufacturers around the world rely on Cold Jet
With over 24,000 machines installed globally, Cold Jet delivers reliable dry ice cleaning solutions for aerospace manufacturing operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
WE ARE HERE TO HELP.
Interested but don’t know where to start?
Contact us today to learn more about our solutions and see how they can meet your unique needs.