The problem this solves
Press cylinders, anilox rolls, drums, doctor blades, and packaging-line framing accumulate ink, adhesive, hot-melt, and substrate dust that has to come off between jobs — and that solvent-soak removal has been the changeover bottleneck for decades.
The solvent route has compounding costs: solvent purchase, solvent disposal, ventilation, operator exposure, and the down-time itself. Anything that reduces solvent dependence improves both the P&L and the safety profile.
Why dry ice blasting fits
Dry ice removes ink, adhesive, and hot-melt residue from press cylinders and packaging-line framing without solvent and without added process water. Anilox cleaning specifically benefits — the dry method doesn't load the cells the way some chemistries do.
Changeover time compresses because there's no soak step and no rinse step. The blast pass ends; the next job can be set up immediately.
Surfaces and equipment we clean
- Anilox rolls
- Press cylinders, drums, and doctor blades
- Print station framing and ink trays
- Adhesive applicators and hot-melt heads
- Packaging line conveyors and changeover bracketry
- Press hoods and dryer interiors
Where this isn't the right method
- Color-balance cleaning that requires solvent-grade purity — solvent stays.
- Mechanical reconditioning of worn anilox cells — that's a re-engraving scope.
How the engagement runs
- 01Press walk + scope
We walk the press with your changeover team and identify the assets where dry ice replaces or supplements solvent.
- 02Trial changeover
First job runs as a trial against your current solvent baseline.
- 03Integration into the changeover SOP
We coordinate scope and timing with the changeover team for ongoing work.
- 04Recurring cadence
Most plants move to weekly or per-changeover service.
What drives the quote
- Press size and asset count
- Changeover cadence
- Trial-job vs. ongoing program
- Distance from Kalispell dispatch
What we bring, what we coordinate
- LOTO on press during the blast pass.
- CO₂ monitoring in enclosed press halls.
- Coordinated with the changeover crew on every event.
Printing Press & Packaging Equipment Cleaning — questions buyers ask us
Not at the pressure setting used for anilox cleaning. We test on a single roll before scoping the press.
Often partially, not fully. Some color-balance cleaning still calls for solvent. We replace the labor-intensive heavy-soil step.
It varies by press and job. The trial run gives us the number; most plants see a meaningful compression on the heavy-soil step.