When you book a mobile dry ice job, what actually shows up in your yard matters. The wrong rig is too small to clean efficiently, too loud for adjacency to live operations, or too dependent on your facility's air and power to be truly mobile. Here's what a properly equipped mobile dry ice rig looks like — and what to ask when you're vetting a contractor.
The diesel compressor
The single largest piece of kit on the rig. Dry ice blasting needs a minimum of 185 CFM at 150 PSI for production cleaning; serious work runs on 375 CFM units. A diesel-driven compressor on a trailer is mandatory if you want true mobility — anything that needs to plug into your shop air will starve mid-job.
The blasting unit
A modern single-hose blaster meters pellets into a single high-pressure airstream. Variable feed rate (typically 1–6 lb/min) and variable pressure (40–250 PSI) let one machine handle everything from delicate electronics to coating removal. We carry primary and backup units on every job.
Dry ice supply
Pellets are perishable — they sublime at roughly 5–10% per day even in insulated storage. We size deliveries to the job and bring extruder-fresh pellets from a regional supplier. For multi-day jobs we plan a midpoint resupply.
Hoses, nozzles, and accessories
50–150 ft of cryogenic-rated blast hose, multiple nozzle profiles (round, fan, deflected), grounding straps for static control, and a HEPA vacuum for debris pickup. Extension wands for overhead and confined work.
PPE and monitoring
Cryogenic gloves, dual hearing protection, full-face shields, hi-vis layer, CO₂ monitors for confined or enclosed-space work, and respirators for restoration scopes. Site safety plan in writing for any job over a half-day.
What to ask
Ask any contractor: what's your CFM rating? Do you bring your own compressor? What's your primary blaster make and model? How fresh are your pellets at the start of the job? The answers separate professional mobile crews from rented kit.